Kuala Lumpur: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vehemently belied claims by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) one-time leader, Nur Misuari, that the Government of Malaysia had used the MILF to strengthen its claim on Sabah and is responsible for promoting disunity amongst Moros. MILF Secretariat head, Mohammad Ameen, said the claim was a total lie and completely fabricated.
"Misuari has committed a serious sin for making such an irresponsible and callous statement against both the MILF and the Malaysian Government.
He should rectify and atone for this grave sin," he was quoted as saying by Luwaran News Centre.
Misuari's latest verbal assault on MILF and Malaysia was carried by Al-Jazeera, YouTube and several Malaysian mainstream media in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Ameen reminded Misuari that it was Malaysia which called for the formation of the Bangsamoro Solidarity Conference (BSC) in 2002 in order to unite the factions of the MNLF and the MILF and to promote a common stand amongst them, especially in their dealing with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
"How could Malaysia use the MILF to strengthen its claim to Sabah, when Sabah is never made part of the agenda of the peace talks since 2001?" Ameen said.
Ameen also told Misuari that Malaysia did not volunteer to facilitate the GPH-MILF peace negotiation, but it was President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001 who requested it to act as in-between the two parties after the negotiation resumed after President Joseph Estrada's all-out war against the MILF in 2000.
President Arroyo, in her first foreign trip since becoming President after the ouster of President Estrada, travelled to Kuala Lumpur to officially ask Malaysia to facilitate the GPH-MILF peace negotiation.
"Malaysia merely responded sincerely to the request of a good neighbour," he explained.
Ameen also questioned Misuari's intention for being so eager in backing up the Sabah claim now as he never raised the issue throughout his 21 years of peace negotiation with the Philippine government, and the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement in 1996 never had a reference on the Sabah claim.
"It is a pity that Misuari is blaming everybody for the failure of his leadership and growing irrelevance to the Bangsamoro struggle to self-determination," said Ameen. - Bernama
