Malaysia will defend Sabah against any claims - PM

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has reiterated the country’s commitment to protecting Sabah against any claims by self-proclaimed descendants of the defunct Sulu sultanate.

Ismail Sabri pointed out that Sabah's status as a part of Malaysia has been recognised by the United Nations since Sept 16, 1963, and so the government will not entertain any claims of ownership from any parties.

"It must be stressed that the government will not budge an inch in protecting and defending the nation's sovereignty, while Sabah's status within Malaysia will forever be defended," he said in a statement.

To defend the country’s sovereignty and interests, he said the government has filed a challenge in a Paris court in France on March 3.

The challenge is against attempts to enforce a US$14.92 billion (RM62.6 billion) "final award" by a Spanish arbitrator to purported descendants of the Philippines' Sulu sultanate.

"This is to ensure the final award decision cannot be enforced by the claimant at any time in any country and so Malaysia does not have to pay the US$14.9 billion claimed.

"In this case, Malaysia is committed to resolving this issue in a comprehensive and final manner," he said.

Ismail Sabri’s statement followed calls from opposition MPs in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday urging Putrajaya to pressure the Philippines government into dropping its claims on Sabah.

Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis said claims about Sabah had been openly debated in the Philippines, yet it did not gain enough attention from Malaysian lawmakers.

She also said the issue of claims on Sabah had been a constant theme during every major Philippines election, extending beyond alleged ties to the defunct Sulu sultanate. - Mkini