THREE REPORTS AGAINST ‘SULTAN’

Three reports against ‘sultan’

February 12, 2011, Saturday KOTA KINABALU: Three political parties yesterday lodged separate police reports against Datu Mohd Akjan Ali Muhammad for allegedly getting himself crowned as the ‘Sultan of Sulu’.

Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth, Party Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) lodged the reports at the City Police Headquarters in Karamunsing.

Sabah BN Youth chief Azman Hj Ruslan, accompanied by Gerakan Youth chief Chang Shui Kiong and Party Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Youth deputy chief Wedley Disim lodged the police report at 6pm.

In the police report, Azman asked the police to investigate the authenticity of Akjan’s Malaysian citizenship as well as claims that the latter had asked the Suluk community to be loyal to him.

“We, BN Youth, want the police to immediately carry out the investigation and take appropriate action against Akjan as the issue could threaten the country’s sovereignty,” he said when met yesterday.

Azman said BN Youth also felt that Akjan should be dismissed from Umno for his action, and urged the people to be calm and not be fooled by any statement made by any party.

“Let the police carry out their investigation,” he said.

Four hours before BN Youth lodged their police report, PKR and SAPP lodged their reports against Akjan.

PKR communication director Ronnie Klassen and state committee member cum national integration bureau chief Dr Chong Eng Leong lodged the report at 2pm, while SAPP Youth chief Edward Dagul lodged his report half an hour later.

Klassen, when met yesterday, said the report by PKR was made in response to Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib’s statement that an investigation against Akjan would be carried out after police had received a report against the latter.

“Now we have lodged a police report against Datu Akjan and we want the Police Commissioner to take immediate action as what he had initially said.

“We Malaysians, especially Sabahans, are waiting for the police to carry out their investigation as we are confused whether we are in Malaysia or in the Philippines,” he said, adding that it is impossible for a person who claimed to be a Malaysian but installed himself as the Sultan of Sulu in Sabah.

In the police report, Klassen and Chong also questioned the nationality of Akjan, for according to a report by sabahkini.net, Akjan was born in the southern Philippines but his MyKad states that he was born in Sabah.

“According to the news portal, Datu Akjan was born in Jambangan Nipah-Nipah Jolo, southern Philippines on Nov 23, 1957 while his MyKad states that he was born in Sabah on July 7, 1957,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dagul agreed with Klassen and Chong, saying the report was made to urge the police to investigate Akjan’s action.

“We hope a thorough investigation would be carried out against Datu Akjan who claims to be the Sultan of Sulu … a police report has been lodged so we want an investigation to be carried out immediately,” he said.

It was reported that Akjan, who is the Sabah Islamic Welfare and Sermon Organisation of Malaysia chairman, had himself installed as the 33rd reigning Sultan of the Sulu Sultanate on Feb 2, when he took the oath of allegiance in a private ceremony in Kg Likas here.

It was said that the ceremony was witnessed by a group of 60 people including senior officials of the Sulu Sultanate from Sulu Province in the southern Philippines.

Following the coronation, Akjan now holds the title of Paduka Maulana Al-Sultan Sharif Ali Muhammad Pulalun or Sultan Hashim Shariful-II.