UPKO welcomes Dutch court's dismissal of Sulu heirs' claim over Sabah

28 Jun 2023

Oleh Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) has welcomed the decision by the Court of Appeal in The Hague, the Netherlands, to dismiss the bid by the so-called Sulu heirs to enforce a US$14.94 billion arbitration award against Malaysia over Sabah.

The party's secretary-general Nelson W Angang said the decision was a victory for Malaysia and Sabah, and justified their stance that the self-proclaimed heirs of the defunct Sulu sultanate had no legal standing to make such claims.

"We have read and learned the manner of how these individuals had manoeuvred and manipulated the international arbitration system in ensuring to forcibly get the award that they wanted," he said in a statement on Wednesday (June 28).

He said UPKO was thankful for the swift action taken by the federal government and their legal teams in ensuring that the award would be finally dismissed and thrown out by the courts.

He also praised Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his commitment in protecting and guarding the sovereignty and security of the country in dealing with this matter.

"We hope this experience will also cast as a reminder that the issue of the Sulu claims against Sabah is a matter that has and will continuously be exploited by unscrupulous and irresponsible parties," he said.

He added that every Sabahan would be able to share their concerns and worries of the continuous challenge made against the sovereignty of the state and its people.

He also urged the federal government to find a solution to the longstanding presence of illegal immigrants and refugees in Sabah from the Philippines, which he said had continuously posed a security problem here.

The Hague court of appeals on Tuesday ruled in favour of Malaysia on compensation claims by eight self-proclaimed heirs of the defunct Sulu sultanate against the country.