LAHAD DATU- Rajah Mudah Agbimuddin Kiram and his men have fled back to the Philippines, Malaysia’s military chief said late Friday.
“Azzimudie has abandoned his men and fled to his homeland,” Gen. Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said in a joint media conference with Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar in Kota Kinabalu, according to a report posted on The Star Malaysia.
Zulkifeli said the information was based on the feedback from security forces commanders on the ground. The reports indicated that Agbimuddin was no longer with his men.
But the spokesperson of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III on Friday denied the claim of Malaysia’s top security forces that Agbimuddin has fled back to southern Philippines.
“That’s only propaganda by Malaysia. They’re saying that so as not to disturb their elections. I don’t have to explain that,” Abraham Idjirani said in a phone interview.
Idjirani said he last spoke to Agbimuddin at 2 p.m. Friday and that the leader of the Royal Army remains in Sabah.