PETALING JAYA (March 4): Pakatan Rakyat called today for a special Parliamentary sitting to further discuss the on-going crisis over the armed intrusion in Sabah.

"We strongly demand that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak stops finger-pointing at others, especially Pakatan Rakyat, and never betrays the trust of the Malaysian people," PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said, reading out a joint press statement by the three Pakatan parties concerning the intrusion by a group of Sulu gunmen.

Anwar, flanked by PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, said this at a press conference in PKR headquarters today.

Pakatan also said that they were willing to have a round-table discussion with the government especially the Prime Minister, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi in a bipartisan move towards resolving the issue.

By convention, the power to call for an emergency parliamentary sitting lies in the Prime Minister's hands.

The three-week stand-off in Lahad Datu, between a group of about 200 insurgents said to be followers of the Sultan of Sulu, has been marked by politically charged statements from the opposition and the government.

Opposition-leaning supporters have claimed that the crisis was "manufactured" by the ruling government to delay the 13th general election.

Last week, Anwar claimed that the crisis was used by the government to "wag the dog" over more substantial national issues.

Over the weekend, the Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia dragged Anwar into the fray, quoting a report from the Philippine press claiming that Anwar had instigated the crisis which started on Feb 12.

Utusan had quoted an article by the pro-Umno blog, MPP Online (Media Permatang Pauh) quoting the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper which cited Philippine intelligence sources as saying that a top Opposition leader in Sabah who is close to Anwar had met with the insurgents and had encouraged their land claims on Sabah.

Anwar had vehemently denied his involvement in the crisis, calling the report "false, baseless and slanderous". His lawyers have initiated legal action against Utusan and TV3 which quoted the former's report in its prime-time news, Buletin Utama.

"Pakatan Rakyat calls on all Malaysians to show unreserved support to our security forces, both the police and the military. And pray that they remain safe while defending our nation and its people from harm...," the statement said.

"While we are convinced that national security transcends political divides and all citizens must support the security forces' efforts, it does not abrogate the federal leadership of its lax treatment of the whole affair," read the statement.

Pakatan Rakyat also sent its condolences to the eight policemen who have passed away in battle since last Friday.

"May God bless them for they have given the highest sacrifice for a grateful nation," read the statement.

DAP's Lim urged Najib to make a visit to Sabah soon in order to assess the situation there. He also called for more political will to resolve the stand-off.

When asked if this was a tactic to delay the polls, Anwar said that that was no longer the issue as the escalating crisis was now a full-blown national security crisis which had to be dealt with first before all else.

Anwar repeated today that he played no role in the intrusion. He repeated that he did meet with a Filipino separatist group last year but that meeting "had nothing to do" with the current intrusion by the self-proclaimed Sulu army.

According to reports, Anwar had met with Moro National Liberation Front leaders. Najib has also met with this group in the run-up to Malaysia's successful attempt to broker peace between the Southern Philippines separatist group and the Philippine government.

On Feb 12, a group of about 200 gunmen landed in Lahad Datu in a bid to reclaim Sabah as a traditional part of the Sulu Sultanate.

The group is fighting in the name of self-proclaimed Sulu sultan Jamalul Kiram III.

The stand-off turned violent last Friday when shooting began in Kampung Tandou, in which two Malaysian police and 12 Sulu gunmen were killed in an initial skirmish.

The crisis continued over the weekend in the nearby village of Semporna where six other Malaysian police and seven other Sulu gunmen have lost their lives.