The Philippines today urged Malaysia to allow a humanitarian mission to assess the condition of Filipinos involved in a conflict over a land claim in the eastern state of Sabah, where 60 people have been killed in a week of hostilities.

Malaysia said 52 Filipinos have been killed and 10 arrested in the fighting in Lahad Datu distict, 1,600 kilometres east of Kuala Lumpur, since fighting broke out last week. Eight Malaysian police officers were also killed in the clashes.

NONE “We are asking that our humanitarian mission be allowed to enter so we can check on the Filipinos,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raul Hernandez (left) said. “We want to visit the arrested Filipinos, treat those who might be wounded and see how to help them.”

Philippine navy ships and a team of doctors and nurses were on standby in the southern Philippines province of Tawi-Tawi.

The crisis began on Feb 12 when more than 200 armed followers of Sulu sultan Jamalul Kiram III set up camp in the village of Tanduo in Lahad Datu to assert their ancestral claim to Sabah.

The sultanate leased the land in 1878 to the British North Borneo Co, which passed it to Malaysia after it gained independence. Kuala Lumpur currently pays the sultan RM5,300 (US$1,680) per year in token rent.

Yesterday, the sultan sought a unilateral ceasefire, but Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the truce offer was not enough, and warned the offensive against the Filipino intruders would continue until they “lay down their arms unconditionally”.

- dpa

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