FMT:
Manila has nothing to do with demands by Sulu ‘heirs’, insists Anwar
The prime minister says there is no evidence that links the Filipino government to claims made on Sabah.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had met Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr (left) twice and found no such proof of Manila’s involvement in the claims by the so-called heirs of the Sulu sultanate. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: The government of the Philippines has nothing to do with the claims by the so-called heirs of the Sulu sultan on Sabah, insists Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
“There is no evidence to suggest the Philippine government has any link to this claim, based on our investigation,” Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat.
He was responding to Khlir Nor (PN-Ketereh), who alleged that Manila was involved in both the claim over Sabah and the Lahad Datu incursion in 2013 by Sulu militants.
After Anwar’s rebuttal, Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) suggested otherwise, pointing out that the Philippines has yet to cease its claims on Sabah.
Manila has also refused to set up a consulate in Kota Kinabalu as it did not wish to recognise Sabah’s status as being part of Malaysia, Bung said.
Anwar, however, stood by his earlier remarks, stating that he had met Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr twice and found no such proof of Manila’s involvement.
The dispute between the self-proclaimed heirs of the Sulu sultan and Putrajaya originated from a deal signed in 1878 between two European colonists and the sultan for the use of his territory in present-day Malaysia.
Malaysia honoured the agreement and made payments of about US$1,000 (around RM5,300) a year until 2013, when there was an incursion by armed men into Lahad Datu, along the eastern coast of Sabah.
Commenting on Manila’s refusal to set up a consulate in Kota Kinabalu, Anwar said this was the prerogative of the Marcos-led administration and said it did little to change Malaysia’s position that Sabah is part of the federation.
He added that Manila was well aware of Putrajaya’s views on territorial matters.
Earlier, while briefing Parliament on Putrajaya’s overseas legal battles against the so-called Sulu heirs, Anwar said the government was waiting for another important decision in the Dutch Court of Appeal over the claim to recognise and enforce the final award in the Netherlands, which is expected to be delivered on June 27.
Malaysia won a legal battle in France on June 6, that is likely to cancel an award of about US$15 billion in compensation that the claimants say is owed to them.
The Paris Court of Appeal ruled that the arbitration court, which ordered Malaysia to make the payment to the so-called heirs, did not have jurisdiction in the case.
“Although the June 6 ruling favoured Malaysia, we were informed that the claimants’ will ‘jump’ to courts in other countries to try and enforce the final award.
“This an abuse of the internationally-recognised court and arbitration process,” he added.
Meanwhile, Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna) called upon Malaysians to be united in fighting against these demands.
He said the people of Semporna were already terrified of violent pirates, citing the murder of his late grandfather, whose remains were never found.
KUALA LUMPUR: The government of the Philippines has nothing to do with the claims by the so-called heirs of the Sulu sultan on Sabah, insists Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
“There is no evidence to suggest the Philippine government has any link to this claim, based on our investigation,” Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat.
He was responding to Khlir Nor (PN-Ketereh), who alleged that Manila was involved in both the claim over Sabah and the Lahad Datu incursion in 2013 by Sulu militants.
After Anwar’s rebuttal, Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) suggested otherwise, pointing out that the Philippines has yet to cease its claims on Sabah.
Manila has also refused to set up a consulate in Kota Kinabalu as it did not wish to recognise Sabah’s status as being part of Malaysia, Bung said.
Anwar, however, stood by his earlier remarks, stating that he had met Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr twice and found no such proof of Manila’s involvement.
The dispute between the self-proclaimed heirs of the Sulu sultan and Putrajaya originated from a deal signed in 1878 between two European colonists and the sultan for the use of his territory in present-day Malaysia.
Malaysia honoured the agreement and made payments of about US$1,000 (around RM5,300) a year until 2013, when there was an incursion by armed men into Lahad Datu, along the eastern coast of Sabah.
Commenting on Manila’s refusal to set up a consulate in Kota Kinabalu, Anwar said this was the prerogative of the Marcos-led administration and said it did little to change Malaysia’s position that Sabah is part of the federation.
He added that Manila was well aware of Putrajaya’s views on territorial matters.
Earlier, while briefing Parliament on Putrajaya’s overseas legal battles against the so-called Sulu heirs, Anwar said the government was waiting for another important decision in the Dutch Court of Appeal over the claim to recognise and enforce the final award in the Netherlands, which is expected to be delivered on June 27.
Malaysia won a legal battle in France on June 6, that is likely to cancel an award of about US$15 billion in compensation that the claimants say is owed to them.
The Paris Court of Appeal ruled that the arbitration court, which ordered Malaysia to make the payment to the so-called heirs, did not have jurisdiction in the case.
“Although the June 6 ruling favoured Malaysia, we were informed that the claimants’ will ‘jump’ to courts in other countries to try and enforce the final award.
“This an abuse of the internationally-recognised court and arbitration process,” he added.
Meanwhile, Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Semporna) called upon Malaysians to be united in fighting against these demands.
He said the people of Semporna were already terrified of violent pirates, citing the murder of his late grandfather, whose remains were never found.
No comments:
Post a Comment