Sabah refugees claim Malaysian cops asking money from them

ZAMBOANGA City, Philippines - Filipinos from Sabah who arrived in Tawi-Tawi on Monday morning alleged that Malaysian police officers are demanding money from them before they are allowed to escape the island state.

“It’s not enough that we are subjected from beating, the Malaysian police were also asking us to pay,” said 27-year old Jelan Adjaran, a Filipino refugee from Sandakan.

Adjaran, a mother of four, arrived in Bongao on Monday morning along with 20 other refugees from Sandakan, Sabah.

She said that she is a native of Kidapawan City and married to a carpenter from Bongao. She said she has been staying in Sabah for four years before the crackdown by the Malaysian forces.

The crackdown came after the Malaysian security forces attacked the royal army of the Sultanate of Sulu, led by Agbimuddin Kiram, brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

“Those who cannot give were being arrested and detained while their documents were torn in front of them,” Adjaran said.

She said the constant raid and threats from the Malaysian police forces prompted her and her husband and children to leave Sabah.

Adjaran managed to bring her family's personal belongings when they escaped. She said will not return to Sabah again.

She said there were still many Filipino in Sabah who were supposed to leave with them, but their boat skipper refused to allow others citing fears that Malaysian authorities might demand money from them and hold them as a consequence for their refusal.

Meanwhile, most of the evacuees are worried because of their lost livelihood due to the hostilities in sabah.

Authorities said aid were coming in slowly in Taganak Island, where most of the refugees were stranded after escaping from Sandakan.

Based on reports, they Philippine Navy has already accounted more or lest 800 evacuees who have arrived in Tawi-Tawi. The number does not include those who landed in Sulu.

Task Force Basulta has processed 432 evacuees since March 9. It has yet to process more evacuees as the exodus of Filipinos from Sabah continued.

Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Rey Ardo said the navy has placed on standby two naval transport ships to deliver rice and other relief goods for the evacuees in Taganak Island.

Arso confirmed that most of the evacuees are stranded in the island, which is about 18 nautical miles from Lahad Datu.