MINISTER SHAFIE ON EAST SABAH SITUATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000332

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV MY
SUBJECT: MINISTER SHAFIE ON EAST SABAH SITUATION


Classified By: Ambassador Christopher J. LaFleur for
reasons 1.5 (b & d)


1. (C) Summary: Minister of Domestic Trade Shafie Apdal and
Ambassador LaFleur discussed IPR enforcement, planned new
regulations on distributive trade, and the security situation
in eastern Sabah state. Economic issues will be reported
septel. Shafie said he receives special intelligence reports
on eastern Sabah, the district he represents in parliament.
He maintained that Malaysian military forces have the
situation under control on their side of the border, but
acknowledged the challenge of stopping people sneaking in
from the Philippines or Indonesia. In his view, the only
long term solution is to create more economic opportunities
in the southern Philippines. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Ambassador LaFleur, accompanied by economic
counselor and trade officer, called on Minister of Domestic
Trade and Consumer Affairs (MDTCA) Shafie Apdal February 24.
Economic issues will be covered septel. This message reports
Shafie's views on the security situation in eastern Sabah,
where Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia meet. Shafie
grew up in and represents the District of Semporna, which
includes Sipadan Island, where the Philippine Muslim
separatist group Abu Sayyaf kidnapped several tourists.


3. (SBU) The Ambassador reported that he had recently visited
Sandakan in eastern Sabah to view a U.S. military funded
project to repair motors for Malaysian maritime patrol craft.
Shafie said he would like to encourage more tourism in the
region. The Ambassador responded that he would like nothing
more than to encourage more Americans to visit Sabah, but
that as far as Sabah's east coast was concerned it would be
difficult to see this while the security situation in that
specific area remained unsettled. The U.S. was working with
Malaysian authorities to address these problems and hopefully
the situation would improve.


4. (C) Shafie said that in his previous position of Deputy
Defense Minister he used to receive regular intelligence
reports on the security situation in eastern Sabah. He
arranged to continue receiving a monthly intelligence update
in his current job. "I want to be the first on the ground,
if something happens," he said. He maintained that Malaysian
military forces have the situation under control on their
side of the border, but acknowledged the challenge of
stopping people sneaking in from the Philippines or
Indonesia. Shafie stressed that "you can't eradicate the
problem by force. You must use economic methods to
re-integrate these people, as we did with the Communist
insurgency." He suggested that there needed to be meetings
and discussions to "bring everyone in and consider their
views. They must see that their opinions are taken into
consideration." He concluded that the long term solution
would be to create economic opportunities in the southern
Philippines that would provide an alternative to violence.
LAFLEUR