I agree with A Very Upset Sabahan who calls for US Special Forces to come to Sabah to protect the state from Abu Sayyaf terrorism. I am also in agreement with all peace-loving Filipinos and Sabahans who want the Islamic terrorist menace to be nipped in the bud.

While military measures will curb Islamic terrorism in the short run, in the long run, Malaysia, the Philippines and the US should prepare Sulu and Mindanao for independence as the secular Muslim Republic of Moroland.

The Malaysian prime minister said to tackle the root causes of terrorism to nip the menance in the bud. The root cause of Filipino Muslim terrorism is the suppression of Muslim Filipino aspirations for the establishment of an independent Moroland.

But creating an independent Muslim Moroland is not an act of secession. It is only deemed secession under the laws of the Philippines Republic which forcibly annexed Muslim Sulu and Mindanao during the American colonial era.

Philippines and Moroland were two entities during the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines. Spain created the Philippines out of the Sulu empire which was centred in Jolo (Sulu Islands) and Sandakan.

Moroland was the rump of the Sulu Empire, covering Sabah, Mindanao and the Sulu Islands. Sabah eventually went into Britain's hands, and finally became part of Malaysia. The Sulu empire remained intact until the American colonisation of the Philippines.

America expanded the Philippines southwards to incorporate Moroland into the Philippine Republic, which finally became independent of the US in 1946. And since then Not only did successive Philippine leaders, save Corazon Aquino, claim Moroland, they also claimed Sabah.

Most of the Philippine leaders have a colonial mentality towards Muslims.Worse, many Philippine politicians consider Islam as dehumanising and terroristic. Terrorist Muslim bandits such as the Abu Sayyaf are the result of the marginalisation of the Moro peoples of the Sulu Sultanate.

Marginalisation breeds criminals and terrorists. But the Abu Sayyaf are a minority in the Moroland. The vast majority of Filipino Muslims there want to achieve independence non-violently. But they are harrassed and intimidated by Manila.

Manila often repeats the Bush-ism 'Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists'. Their version is 'Either you are with the Philippines or you are with the Muslim terrorists'.

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari was once a good force to lead Moroland to independence. But it soon became corrupt, and later betrayed the struggle of the Moros by making 'peace' with Manila.

The MILF is not a good option to lead Moroland because it is a Islamic fundamentalist like Pas.

The vast majority of Moros are moderate and peaceful Muslims.

Calling for Moroland to be independent may encourage Muslim terrorism, some politicians in the Philippines and even Malaysia might say.

But if Moroland is made independent gradually, under the leadership of progressive leaders picked by the people of Moroland, an independent Moroland will be good for both Malaysia and the Philippines.

And that is the only way to guarantee Sabah's safety and freedom from Moro 'pirates'.

Sabah should stop Moros from settling in the state because we cannot accommodate them, and furthermore, many of them are desperate to colonise our state having lost hope in Moroland ever coming into being.

Therefore, I argue that we should fully support the aspirations of the vast majority of Moro Muslims who want an independent, secular Republic of Moroland covering Sulu and Mindanao.

If Indonesia, which forcibly annexed East Timor can give the latter independence, I don't see why Manila cannot give Moroland independence.