Sulu claim: Malaysia to send diplomatic notes to 168 countries

 

Malaysia will be sending diplomatic notes to 168 countries that signed the New York Convention as an early notification on a possible unilateral legal claim by the heirs of sultan Jamalul Kiram II or arbitrator Gondoza Stampa over the 'Final Award' to the descendants of Sulu sultan.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said the proactive move was taken so that the countries were aware of the unilateral claim apart from hoping that the countries involved would inform Malaysia if there were such applications filed in their countries.

Overall, 169 countries signed the New York Convention. However, the Paris Arbitration Court in France earlier made the decision that Malaysia must pay compensation of USD14.92 billion (RM62.59 billion) to the party claiming to be the heirs of the Sulu sultan.

"The Foreign Ministry will be sending notices to the foreign ministries of 168 countries as Stampa had made the Final Award in France and we do not know if they (Stampa and the Sulu sultan’s heirs) would stop in France or (go) to other countries after this with the same claim.

"We have applied to strike out the Final Award and we are now waiting for a decision of the French Court soon,” Saifuddin (above) said.

He was speaking at a media conference after the Indera Mahkota Perikatan Nasional (PN) Hari Raya event in Kuantan, Pahang, today.

The government of Malaysia does not recognise claims made by the alleged heirs of the Sulu sultan and rejected the final award issued by Stampa.

The country also does not recognise allegations of violating the 1878 Agreement between the Sulu sultan with Baron de Overbeck and Alfred Dent, in which the Sulu sultan handed over his territories in North Borneo, now Sabah, in perpetuity.

In the agreement, the Sulu sultan and his heirs would be given a cession payment of RM5,300 a year in return.

However, following armed attacks on Lahad Datu, the payment was stopped in 2013.

Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor

Touching on the matter, Saifuddin, who is also the Indera Mahkota MP, said he met Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor yesterday.

He said he informed Hajiji of the federal government’s action to fight the claim of the alleged Sulu sultan’s heirs and both sides agreed to meet more frequently on this effort.

Apart from the Sulu sultan’s claim, Saifuddin said he and Hajiji also agreed that an official representative from Sabah would be involved in the General Border Committees of Malaysia-Indonesia which involved maritime and land borders.

"I also met with the state Chief Minister, Menteris Besar, and Premier bordering neighbouring countries so that we were more systematic and the border committees would have representatives from the states concerned,” he said.

- Bernama