VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKL #0332 0590002
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 280002Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5986
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

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