The Jolo royalty from pre-Spanish time up to the 21st century

(Part II of The historical facts about Sabah Filipinos must know)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — I just arrived from Kuala Lumpur after six days. I took the early morning flight to Malaysia and found the super modern K.L. International Airport empty. We were told that it is low season for tourists. The president of the Malaysian Association of Montessori Schools (MAM) Aisha Abdullah, and her sister Faridah met me with OBMC Angeles, Pampanga line manager, Audrey Paras.

I was to speak in MAM’s International Montessori Forum 2013 at Segi University. On our way to the Royale Bintang Damasara Hotel, the city looked refreshing, filled with flamboyant green trees, and giant anahaw palms. As one of two keynote speakers, I presented a powerpoint analysis of “Montessori Success Stories with Special Education Needs.”

Sabah report by Max Soliven

When he was Manila Times columnist, my husband, Maximo V. Soliven wrote about three dozen “By the Way” columns on Sabah, including the Special Report from Sabah between March to April 1968, at the height of the Sabah claim overture Malaysia. He wrote:

“The fantastic and colorful revelations of the Corregidor ‘Secret Army’ now rocking the nation have focused attention anew on the sprawling archipelago called Sulu – a virtual Muslim sultanate within a Christian republic of the south. I have made several forays over the years into this marvelous scatter of islands, which sparkle (as seen from your plane window) like necklace of green jade against an azure background of blue sea. To appreciate the breathtaking beauty of the Sulu archipelago, one must venture beyond Jolo to Sanga Sanga and the Tawi Tawi group, to Siasi and Sibutu. From the southernmost isle, one can plainly see the mountains of Sabah and Tunku Point beckoning across the waters.

“Indeed long before the 16th century and the advent of Catholic Spain, our Muslim Filipinos – later called, in fear and scorn by the Spaniards, the Moros (Moors) – plied these seas in their swift sailboats, maintaining intercourse between Mindanao and the farthest reaches of Borneo and the island of Indonesia. They remain in the century “first cousins” of those neighbors beyond our back-door, conscious of the interlocking ties of blood and culture, religion, trade and often – piracy.”

Who is today’s recognizednew sultan of Jolo?

“Sultan Ysmael Kiram II signed the original treaty agreement with the Philippine government on Sept. 12, 1962. The government’s part by then Vice President Manny Pelaez, confirmed the administration’s authority to pursue the Borneo claim against Great Britain. The late Umbra Amilbangsa, who was the leading claimant to the Sultanate of Sulu until his death, subsequently signed an instrument of adherence on July 22, 1966.

“Umbra was married to Dayang-Dayang (Princess) Haji Piandao, the niece and adopted daughter of the late Sultan Jamalul Kiram, who died on June 6, 1936. The princess’ mother was Inche Jamila of the Brunei Royal House.

“Umbra or Ombra Amilbangsa himself was legitimately descended from three Sultans – one on his father’s side and two on his mother’s side. Umbra was proclaimed on March 4, 1937 on the grounds of Dayang-Dayang Memorial High School.

“The controversy over who should actually sit on the throne dates back to an ancient agreement between two contending royal families in Sulu. The “arrangement” was upset by Jamalul Kiram’s family whose claim was made to stick because of the cooperation of the banwas (which means in old Malay, “country”), actual headsmen of the Muslim Sulu community dates back to the original pre-sultanic era. The sultanate issue may yet be revived between Datu Kiram and the Amilbangsa family.”

Beginning to look like Vietnam war

From the Philippine side, what seems to be a “storm in a kettle” is because 200 Muslim Filipinos claimed their rights to their homeland Sabah by settling in the tiny village of Lahad Datu. But the major Malaysian dailies give the impression that it is a national battleground similar to Vietnam War with a dozen heavy tanks (ACV-300 Adnan armoured combat vehicles), and daily airforce bombardment, and the Malaysian Navy with the police marine standing guard on the coastline flushing out the “terrorists” from the tiny “kampungs” or villages of Kampung Tanduo within LAHAD DATU, and Kampung Seri Jaya, Simunul within SEMPORNA, 15 miles across the island of Jolo.

Business is as usual though in the hotels, but everyday, as we took the sumptuous Malaysian, Indian and western breakfast at the hotel, two major dailies flash their special reports. The New Straits Times makes exciting layout “OPS DAULAT, and rival People’s Paper – STAR contends with “Sabah Under Attack.” The first four pages are usually filled with colored photos of the Malaysian soldiers in full battle gear conducting “mopping operation” following the air strike and mortar bombardment on Kampung Tanduo. This alternates with photos of teary-eyed widows and frowning children of the six soldiers killed. More than 60 slain “intruders” have been reported. Impressive but daunting for the hungry Jolo people are the huge sacks and parcels of food and medicines dispensed by the security forces at evacuation centers of Felda Sakabat Tajar Harapan.

For Malaysians, events have become part of election propaganda

Articles quote President Benigno Aquino III stating “Sabah claim should be resolved peacefully,” in a political rally of Team PNoy in the Visayas, where the president defended his administration’s handling of the Sabah crisis. At the same time, photos of PM Dato Seri Najib Razak, show him making frequent fieldtrips with military officers in Sabah, sympathizing with widows and children of the few soldiers slain, are given prominence, especially since PM Najib is a re-electionist.

Two major political parties hotly contend for power this coming May election: PM Najib Umno’s Barisan Nasional and de-facto leader Datu Seri Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) are said to have each 50 percent support of the people. PKR Vice President Tian Chua had told Keadilan Daily online portal that the shooting in Lahad Datu was believed to be a “conspiracy of the Umno government” to divert attention and intimidate people; a conspiracy of the Umno government to divert the attention of Sabahans, particularly over the issuance of identity cards to foreigners. He added that the Malaysian security personnel killed by Sulu “terrorists” was a needless death. For this Tian Chua was charged with sedition over Sabah jibe. Judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat said it was premature to decide on the case at this stage and added that bail of RM5,000 proposed by prosecution was reasonable.

 Malaysia media tend to be biased in favor of the government for they have to renew their license yearly. Any of them could lose their license without any explanation. Thus day by day highlights would be front paged such as: “31 Sulu terrorists killed in a gunfight in Kg Tanjung Batu”; “Among those killed is one with the rank of general who has been identified as Haji Musa, a former MNLF commander”; “Intruders now split into two groups about 3km apart – in Kg Tanduo and Kg Tanjung Batu.” “Malaysians unite in prayers for safety of security forces and end to crisis”, and “Police arrest 79 sympathizers and supporters of Sulu terrorists.”

KL national museum confirms existence of the kingdom of Sulu

A three-hour tour of the wonderful two-storey history museum of Malaysia revealed the detailed evolution of the major isles of the country, accompanied by archeological transformations in Southeast Asia entitled “The Kingdom of Sulu.”

“Sulu was a Muslim kingdom, which at one time held sway over the Sulu Sea in the Southern Philippines. The Sultanate of Sulu was founded by Sharif Abu Bakar, entitled Sultan Shariful Hashim in the middle of the 15th century AD. In its golden age, it controlled the whole of the Sulu Archipelago, the Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao, the southern part of Palawan Island, and the north and east coasts of Borneo. The center of government was on Jolo Island.

“The Sultanate of Sulu became a powerful state in the 18th century and into the 19th. Its international trade also flourished at this time. The location of Sulu in the Sulawesi Sea, the Sulu Sea and the South China Sea placed it in the maritime lanes where trading ships came and went between North and South. The Sultanate faced severe challenges beginning in the 16th century, with the arrival of European power, specifically that of Spain. In the course of its history, Sulu was ruled by 32 sultans, the last of whom, Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, who died in 1936.”

‘Proud to be Filipinos’

Calling on our Philippine ambassador to Malaysia, J. Eduardo Malaya at the recently renovated embassy at Jalan Changkat Kia Peng was such a pleasant learning experience. The two-storey heritage white house used to be the residence of YTM, Tunku Abdul Raman Putra Al–Haj, the first prime minister of Malaysia and Sultan of Kedah.

The ambassador’s persuasive power has attracted donations from the Filipinos like architect Bart B. Vista, sought after by the local Malaysians. He renovated the embassy with construction companies donating 80 percent of the cost within the past three months. More Filipinos have also reached out to put up the Stairway of Hope Learning Center in Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah. Recently, when he visited Sabah, Torben Venning, CEO of the Borneo Child Aid Society (or Humana Child Aid Society), whose wife is a Tausug, presented to him 150 children in one big learning hall putting 35 Filipino children in front. Ambassador Malaya, who comes from a family of teachers including his mother who was a superintendent in Bicol, could not help but be touched deeply for these 5 to 13 years old children were holding up a banner “Proud to be Filipinos.” Do they have reasons to be proud? It just reveals the grief stricken predicament that the 30,000 children of 800,000 Filipino workers are school-less because Malaysian schools only accept Malaysian documented children.

Ambassador Malay has personally conferred with DepEd Secretary Luistro, who sent a DepEd team to investigate the situation in Sabah. He hopes Sec. Luistro would come to the rescue. Meantime, Mr. Venning assisted by several corporations which own the sugar palm plantations, continues the project from his office in Lahad Datu, serving 10,000 children in 117 schools of Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau, Semporna and Kinabatangan.