Sulu sultanate claims assassination plot

MANILA, Philippines - The sultanate of Sulu yesterday bared an alleged plot by Malaysia to kill Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, his family and their supporters.

Sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani told reporters that a certain Sunny Ng, whom he described as a Malaysian colonel, has arrived in the Philippines along with four commandos to assassinate the members of the sultanate royal household and their supporters.

Idjirani said the commandos have also hired three alleged members of the New People’s Army from Quezon to carry out the assassination. He said the plot was revealed Monday by a former lawyer of Pastor Saycon, the sultanate’s political adviser, who was also one of the alleged targets of assassination.

He said the lawyer is currently working for Kenneth Lee, a Malaysian businessman based in the country, and a business partner of Ng.

Idjirani said the lawyer was with Lee when the businessman met Ng’s group at Genting Palace, a restaurant at the Resorts World in Pasay City around noon Monday.

During the meeting, Ng reportedly bared the plot to kill the Kirams to Lee.

He said the lawyer even revealed that Ng was billeted either in room “806 or 906” of Maxim’s Hotel, which is also located at Resorts World.

“In the light of this development, we would like to ask the government: Have we surrendered our sovereign control (of our country) that we allow a Malaysian hit squad to perform their terrorist acts in the Philippines?” Idjirani told reporters.