Malaysia Calls For Sustained Coordination In Bangsamoro Peace Process

MANILA, Aug 20 (Bernama-PNA) -- Malaysia has expressed hope for sustained coordination between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after the group suspended the decommissioning of its final batch of combatants, Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.

“I hope all parties will continue to work together.

“This is something that the parties will have to resolve themselves, we want all parties to come together; that’s the most important part,” Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines, Datuk Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino, told reporters in Taguig City on Tuesday when asked about the latest development in the Bangsamoro peace process.

In a memorandum dated Aug 16, MILF Chairman Alhadj Murad Ebrahim instructed all commanders and members not to join any decommissioning or normalisation activities of the government “without prior written approval” from the MILF.

The directive followed a July 19 resolution by the MILF Central Committee, which temporarily suspended the implementation of the fourth and final phase of the decommissioning process.

Under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the MILF is to undergo a phased decommissioning -- 10 per cent in Phase 1, 30 per cent in Phase 2, 35 per cent in Phase 3, and the remainder in Phase 4.

Malaysia played a key role in the negotiations by serving as a third-party facilitator, providing a neutral venue for talks and documenting commitments and agreements.

-- BERNAMA-PNA