Sabah hails Paris Appellate Court's decision annulling "Final Award"

11 December 2025

KOTA KINABALU: The Paris Court of Appeal's decision to annul the US$14.9 billion "Final Award" in favor of the self-proclaimed Sulu claimants is a decisive ruling and significant victory for Malaysia.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor said,

"I have stated before, we will defend Sabah's sovereignty within the Federation of Malaysia, and we will never entertain such claims."

"The decision of the Paris Court of Appeal once again vindicated Sabah's stand all this while." he said in response to the statement of the Sulu Special Secretariat War Room, acting on behalf of the Malaysian Government, today.

The court's ruling on December 9 found that the arbitrator, Gonzalo Stampa, lacked jurisdiction and that no valid arbitration agreement bound Malaysia.

The Sabah State Government reiterated its commitment to working with the Federal Government to quash any future claims.

"We also express our gratitude to the Federal Government for their hard work in defending Sabah's sovereignty," the Chief Minister said.