US embassy cable - 01KUALALUMPUR2464

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 002464 
 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/11 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, PINS, MY, RP 
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA PROBES MISUARI TIES TO ABU SAYYAF GROUP 
 
REF: (A) KUALA LUMPUR 2446 (B) MANILA 6796 
 
CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM JAMES F. ENTWISTLE FOR REASONS 1.5 
(B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: CONCERNED THAT ANY CHARGES FILED 
AGAINST NUR MISUARI HERE WOULD PROVOKE A DOMESTIC 
BACKLASH, MALAYSIAN OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO INSIST THEY 
ARE PREPARED TO DEPORT THE MORO NATIONAL LIBERATION 
FRONT (MNLF) LEADER TO THE PHILIPPINES.  NEVERTHELESS, 
MALAYSIA'A SECURITY APPARATUS IS INCREASINGLY 
INTERESTED IN MISUARI'S ALLEGED CONNECTION TO THE ABU 
SAYYAF GROUP AND POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IN THE 
KIDNAPPING OF WESTERN TOURISTS ON THE MALAYSIAN ISLAND 
OF SIPADAN IN 2000.  ACCORDING TO A FOREIGN MINISTRY 
CONTACT, MANILA IS SHARING INTELLIGENCE ON MISUARI'S 
POSSIBLE ROLE IN THE SIPADAN KIDNAPPING, WITH THE HOPE 
THAT A RESULTING INVESTIGATION WOULD KEEP THE REBEL 
LEADER INCARCERATED IN A MALAYSIAN JAIL.  THE MFA 
MAINTAINED THAT MANILA IS TALKING OUT OF TWO SIDES OF 
ITS MOUTH, WITH PRESIDENT ARROYO'S OFFICE INDICATING 
THAT MISUARI'S ACTIVITIES MAY REQUIRE A PROLONGED 
MALAYSIAN INVESTIGATION, AND THE PHILIPPINE FOREIGN 
MINISTRY CLAIMING THAT MANILA IS READY TO ACCEPT 
MISUARI IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ELECTIONS IN THE 
AUTONOMOUS REGION OF MINDANAO (ARMM).  AN MFA CONTACT 
OPINED THAT GOP FOOT-DRAGGING IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO FEARS 
THAT A REBELLION TRIAL FOR MISUARI IN THE PHILIPPINES 
MAY NOT ULTIMATELY RESULT IN A CONVICTION, AND IN THE 
END HE MAY JUST "SLIP AWAY." END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) THE LOCAL PRESS REPORTED NOVEMBER 28 THAT 
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ABDULLAH BADAWI SAID THE GOM IS 
READY TO IMMEDIATELY DEPORT MISUARI AT MANILA'S 
REQUEST.  CHIEF MINISTER OF THE BORNEO STATE OF SABAH, 
CHONG KAH KIAT, SAID THAT MALAYSIA "WOULD LOVE TO SEND 
HIM BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE."  CABINET MINISTER FOR 
YOUTH AND SPORT AND UMNO YOUTH CHIEF HISHAMMUDDIN 
HUSSEIN, WHO KNOWS MISUARI PERSONALLY AND EVEN 
DESCRIBES HIM AS A "FRIEND," CALLED FOR MISUARI'S 
IMMEDIATE DEPORTATION TO THE PHILIPPINES. 
HISHAMMUDDIN, WHO IS LIKELY NOW DEFENSIVE ABOUT HIS 
RELATIONSHIP WITH MISUARI, TOLD THE PRESS THAT 
MISUARI'S ACTIONS "CREATE A NEGATIVE IMAGE OF MUSLIMS 
AND TARNISH THE SANCTITY OF ISLAM."  UNMO YOUTH 
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER SHAMSUL ANWAR SULAIMAN TOLD 
US THAT THE PARTY HAD SENT A STRONG RECOMMENDATION TO 
THE PRIME MINISTER THAT MISUARI BE RETURNED TO THE 
PHILIPPINES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  SHAMSUL CONFIRMED 
THAT HE, HISHAMUDDIN, AND OTHER UMNO FIGURES HAD BEEN 
CLOSE TO MISUARI IN THE PAST. 
 
3. (C) WHILE THE GOM MAY WISH TO BE RID OF MISUARI, 
THERE IS GROWING INTEREST IN HIS ALLEGED CONNECTION 
WITH THE ABU SAYYAF GROUP AND HIS POSSIBLE ROLE IN THE 
SIPADAN ISLAND KIDNAPPINGS IN 2000. FOLLOWING A 
MEETING OF THE MALAYSIA'S NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL 
NOVEMBER 24, AN UNNAMED OFFICIAL TOLD THE LOCAL PRESS 
THAT MISUARI AND HIS CAPTURED AIDES COULD PROVIDE 
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF "MILITANT GROUPS." 
A FOREIGN MINISTRY CONTACT IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIA 
DIVISION, ZULKEFLY MD NOOR (STRICTLY PROTECT) SAID 
THAT MANILA WAS NOW "ALERTING" THE MALAYSIAN 
AUTHORITIES TO MISUARI'S CONNECTIONS TO ABU SAYYAF AND 
THE SIPADAN KIDNAPPINGS, PERHAPS AS A CONVENIENT WAY 
TO KEEP MISUARI INCARCERATED IN MALAYSIA WHILE THE 
MALAYSIAN POLICE CARRY OUT WHAT IS SURE TO BE A 
COMPLEX TERRORISM INVESTIGATION.  THE INSPECTOR 
GENERAL OF THE ROYAL MALAYSIA POLICE, NORIAN MAI, 
ACKNOWLEDGED TO THE PRESS THAT MISUARI AND HIS SIX 
CAPTURED SUPPORTERS WERE BEING INVESTIGATED FOR LINKS 
TO THE ABU SAYYAF GROUP, THOUGH NONE OF THE MEN, 
INCLUDING MISUARI, HAVE BEEN FORMALLY CHARGED. 
 
4. (C) ZULKEFLY PROVIDED SOME ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO 
THE GOM'S DEALINGS WITH MANILA, MAINTAINING THAT THE 
GOP IS TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF ITS MOUTH.  WHILE 
THE PHILIPPINE FOREIGN MINISTRY KEEPS ASSURING THE GOM 
THAT MISUARI'S DEPORTATION WILL BE REQUESTED FOLLOWING 
THE COMPLETION OF ELECTIONS IN MINDANAO, PRESIDENT 
ARROYO'S OFFICE HAS INDICATED THAT THE GOM "SHOULD BE 
PREPARED FOR THE LONG-HAUL."  ACCORDING TO ZULKEFLY, 
THE GOP FEARS THAT PUTTING MISUARI ON TRIAL FOR 
REBELLION WILL NOT ONLY CAUSE A POPULAR BACKLASH, BUT 
MAY NOT RESULT IN A CONVICTION.  ZULKEFLY SAID THE GOP 
WAS NOT CONFIDENT IT COULD SECURE A CONVICTION, AND 
WORRIED THAT MISUARI MAY ULTIMATELY "SLIP AWAY." 
ZULKEFLY AGREED WITH THE VIEW THAT PERHAPS THE GOP 
HOPES A CONVICTION IN A MALAYSIAN COURT WOULD BE A 
SAFER AND MORE EFFECTIVE METHOD OF KEEPING MISUARI 
GROUP 
 
BEHIND BARS. 
 
HUHTALA