The sultanate's spokesman says Malaysian commandos are in the Philippines to liquidate the Kiram family.

(Agencies) - MANILA: The Sulu Sultanate revealed an elaborate assassination plot against its leader, Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, and members of the royal family.

Abrahim Idjirani, spokesman of the sultanate, said a Malaysian colonel named Sunny Ng had entered the Philippines with four Malaysian commandos with a mission to liquidate the Kiram family and their supporters.

Speaking at the Kirams’ residence in Taguig City, Idjirani said the Malaysian commandos have enlisted the help of the New People’s Army recruits from Quezon to carry out the assassination.

The mission, Idjirani said, was relayed to them by a Filipino lawyer who was approached by Malaysian businessman named Kenneth Lee to talk to the Malaysian assassins.

The lawyer, whom Idjirani refused to name, previously worked as a legal counsel of Pastor Saycon, the sultanate’s political adviser.

“In the light of this development, we would like to ask the government: Have we surrendered the sovereign control of our country that we allow a Malaysian hit squad to perform its terrorist acts in the Philippines?” Idjirani told reporters.

Idjirani said Ng’s group met Saycon’s former lawyer at the Genting Palace, a restaurant at the Resorts World in Pasay City around noon on Monday. The Malaysian squad stayed at the Maxim’s Hotel, also located at Resorts World.

Ng had asked Lee to trace the home address of Sultan Kiram, who in turn contacted the lawyer.

“The lawyer told us that he is willing to confront the Malaysians and stand as witness against them in court,” Idjirani said.

Kiram urged the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the military to investigate into the reported assassination plot by Malaysia.

“We have to call on the policemen and the NBI to investigate this matter. Unless they believe that we are foreigners, it’s their responsibility to protect us because we are Filipinos,” Kiram said.