They want to assure the people that they are with the legitimate sultan, but the fact is that they are not, because there is only one sultan in Sulu – and that is me,” said Ampun Muedzul-Lail Tan Kiram to an online news portal on February 22, 2013, as regards to Jamalul Kiram III.
Ampun Muedzul’s statement is correct. There are a lot of people claiming themselves as the legitimate Sultan Sulu, at least nine individuals take themselves as the real heir of Sulu Sultanate.
The interesting part is, all the nine individuals including Jamalul Kiram III wants to be called as Sultan Sulu and they went through various coronation ceremonies as well as having their own followers, however, none of the nine have any colony or region to lead.
Jamalul Kiram III, is one of the nine individuals who are directly involved in ordering a group of 200 of his followers believed to be Sultan Sulu soldiers to invade Lahad Datu, Sabah.
A group of Filipinos led by his brother, Agbimuddin Kiram is responsible for killing 8 Malaysian security officers in two incidents in Lahad Datu and Kampung Srijaya, Simunul, Sampoerna, which also led to 18 casualties among his followers.
They began invading Sabah since February 9, 2013 with the objective of demanding their rights over Sabah which is claimed to be own by Sulu Sultanate, as well as pushing Malaysian Government to not send Filipino Sulu descendant immigrant back to their home country.
Not just that it is rude, they even acted all gangster asking to rule Sabah, such embarrassment for Sulu ethnic. Jamalul Kiram III group should have just been called as Sulu terrorist.
We cannot help but to ask, who is Jamalul Kiram III and is he really a legitimate Sultan Sulu?
Jamalul Kiram III is not considered as the legitimate heir of Sulu Sultanate because he is not part of Sultan Sulu as descendants of Kiram family is no longer accepted by their people after they are deemed as stooges to the United States.
The massacre of 4,000 Sulu people from Datu & Syarif Tausug families in Bud Bagsak and Bud Dahu around year 1906 was caused by the Americans after getting blessings from Sultan Jamalul Kiram II (1884-1936), the last Sultan Sulu from descendants of Kiram family in Jolo, Sulu.
Since the massacre, most Tausuq Sulu people went against their Sultan and they no longer acknowledge any Kiram descendants as leaders.
Now, with at least nine individuals from various descendants claiming to be legitimate heir to Sulu Sultanate, this adds up doubt among people to believe Jamalul Kiram III as the only legal heir.
It is even disgusting for Sulu people in both the Philippines and Sabah as Jamalul Kiram III is not the only one who declared himself as Sultan Sulu, even his brother, Esmail Kiram II does the same thing, declaring himself as Sultan Sulu. Embarrassing.
