Putrajaya forms special team to draft action plans over claims by heirs of Sulu sultanate

PETALING JAYA: A special team will be formed to draft action plans to deal with the claims made by the self-proclaimed heirs of the Sulu sultanate, says Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said the team would be led by himself and would also consist of Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, Attorney General Tan Sri Idris Harun and experts on international arbitration.

“The Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) and the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) are currently deciding the terms of reference and also additional members if needed.

"The government seriously views the issues that threaten the interest of national assets in foreign countries by the so-called heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, particularly assets under government-linked companies (GLC).

"Therefore, the government will take proactive and aggressive steps in addressing this issue to defend our national assets and sovereignty," said the de facto law minister.

On Thursday (July 14), MCA called for a special task force in international arbitration to protect Malaysia's sovereignty over the claims.

On Tuesday (July 12), Financial Times reported that the so-called Sulu heirs had invoked the Paris arbitration court decision to award RM63bil to them.

The eight Sulu heirs based in the Philippines were represented by London-based lawyers led by Elisabeth Mason.

London-based Financial Times, quoting lawyers for the group, said bailiffs in Luxembourg had seized Luxembourg-registered subsidiaries PETRONAS Azerbaijan (Shah Deniz) and PETRONAS South Caucasus on behalf of their clients on Monday (July 11).

On July 13, Wan Junaidi said Malaysia had obtained a stay order on the RM63bil award.

He said the Paris Court of Appeal had allowed an application by the Malaysian government to suspend enforcing the final award dated Feb 28 following claims by parties who alleged that they were heirs and successors in interest to Sultan Jamalul Kiram II through an international arbitration proceeding in Madrid.

With the stay order, the final award, which had been obtained by Spanish arbitrator Dr Gonzalo Stampa earlier, could not be enforced in any country pending a decision by the French court on the finality of the matter.

Wan Junaidi also said the government was currently making preparations for the hearing to quash the final award, although a hearing date had yet to be fixed.

Malaysia also filed criminal proceedings against Stampa for contempt of court in Madrid, which is ongoing.

The controversial award by arbitrator Stampa has been disputed by Malaysia, which held that he made the decision even as superior courts in Spain issued a suspension order on the case.