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KOTA KINABALU – The Paris appellate court’s decision to uphold Malaysia’s challenge against the arbitration filed by supposed Sulu heirs has reaffirmed Sabah’s position and proves that the claim lacks merit, a landmark victory that has further solidified Sabah’s position within the Malaysian federation, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor.
Hajiji expressed his satisfaction with the outcome and emphasised that Sabahans have unequivocally chosen to be part of the federation through the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
He also called on the federal government to take decisive action to put an end to the claim.
“The Sabah government welcomes the decision and hopes that the Malaysian government will take all appropriate actions to put an end to the claim once and for all,” he said in a statement here today.
The Paris Court of Appeal upheld Malaysia’s challenge against the partial award rendered on May 25, 2020, by arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa in the case filed by eight citizens of the Philippines, who are purported heirs of the long-defunct Sulu sultanate.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and institutional reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the decision means that the purported Sulu claimants cannot rely on the award in France for any purpose.
The court’s decision follows Malaysia’s successful challenge against the Spanish court-appointed arbitrator, Gonzalo Stampa, for the Sulu claimants’ case.
Stampa’s initial partial award on May 5, 2020, was subsequently appealed in Paris after his appointment as an arbitrator was annulled by the Spanish court in June 2021.
With the Paris Court of Appeal’s ruling, it has become clear that the Sulu claimants’ demand for a US$14.9 billion (approximately RM61.82 billion) compensation, as stipulated in Stampa’s “final award” on February 28, 2022, cannot be enforced against Malaysia. – The Vibes, June 7, 2023