Anwar's hand in Lahad Datu isn’t credible theory!

There is quite a bit of material in the mainstream and alternative media hinting, suggesting and even accusing Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim as the arch villain behind the Lahad Datu intrusion and subsequent standoff.

As the various conspiracy theories go, this is the weakest of them all. We can only await the proposed Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Lahad Datu with bated breaths.

Anwar may have met Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari in Jakarta and Manila, as reported by several sources including Malaysia Today. However, such meetings by themselves tell nothing. Both men were longtime friends. The MNLF Leader may have wanted to catch up with the Opposition Leader because he’s also the Prime Minister in Waiting.

Moreover, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was then facilitating a peace process in the Philippines south without the MNLF. That could have been the only serious issue featured in the two reported Anwar-Nur Misuari talks. When Nur Misuari found that the Prime Minister of Malaysia had turned his back on him in the wake of the peace process, he could turn nowhere else but the Prime Minister in Waiting. This is akin to visiting western leaders not only calling upon the head of state and head of government of a country but also making time to meet with the Opposition Leader.

Any suggestions that the Lahad Datu intrusion happened because Anwar wanted to swing the Suluk votes his way simply doesn’t add up. It’s Umno which has immediately added 12,000 postal votes in eastern Sabah in the wake of Lahad Datu. Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Onn said his ministry would build seven new police stations in Pulau Bum Bum, Pulau Banggi and Pulau Gaya, and five integrated customs, immigration and quarantine complexes under the Eastern Sabah Security Command. The ministry would also enhance its agencies, including the Marine Police, VAT69 Commando, General Task Force and Special Action Unit,.
Suluk, Bajau betrayed after supporting Malaysia

Anwar may not have been banking on winning any Muslim seat in Sabah. He can only favour Sabah Umno crossing over en bloc if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) can seize the reins of power in Putrajaya.

If the Suluk seats were shaky for Umno before Lahad Datu – they may still be -- it will be more due to the pro-tem United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) which has been making inroads in the 20-odd Muslim seats once held by the party before it was deregistered to make way for Umno. The Registrar of Societies (ROS), for all practical purposes, has refused to re-register Usno and this has caused considerable anger among the community. It’s viewed as a kind of betrayal.

Ironically, the Suluk and Bajau community leaders were the only ones who agreed to the formation of Malaysia. The Orang Asal community – Dusunic and Murutic groupings -- leaders wanted a period of independence before considering the idea of Malaysia again and asked for further details to be used for future reference. The Chinese leaders were against Malaysia.

In Sarawak, the Sarawak United People’s Party (Supp) even backed the local communists who operated from their jungle hideouts against the inclusion of their state in Malaysia.

-malaysia-chronicle.com