MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Najib Razak, who witnessed the historic signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in Malacañang on Thursday, said the peace deal forged between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ended 40 years of darkness in the troubled region.

“Forty years ago, darkness came to Mindanao. In a struggle that bridged a generation, 150,000 lives were lost. Today, we turn to face the light. Today belongs to the Philippines and to the people of the Bangsamoro,” the Malaysian leader said.