KUALA LUMPUR: The lawyer appointed by Malaysia to handle the Sulu claimants’ dispute is confident that the country has a strong chance of prevailing based on facts and evidence that clearly sides Malaysia, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said.
The Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) added that she was currently conducting a visit together with a representative from the Attorney General’s Chambers, Solicitor-General II Datuk Almalena Sharmila, and Malaysia’s ambassador to Spain Datuk Akmal Che Mustafa to Madrid, Spain, where the eight individuals involved in the Sulu claims dispute began arbitration proceedings.
During the visit, she held discussions and was briefed by the law firms representing Malaysia - Uria Menandez from Spain, Bredin Prat (France), Fietta LLP (United Kingdom) - and public relations consultants PA Associates (UK) on the claims dispute while waiting the decision by the International Court of Justice in the Hague on June 27.
"Whatever the judgement, the Madani government will remain firm in our stand to continue efforts to ensure Malaysia’s sovereignty is preserved in this case,” she said in a Facebook post Thursday (June 22).
Azalina urged all Malaysians continue to support the government's efforts to champion this issue and to pray for success and the preservation of the country’s sovereignty.
Eight Filipinos claiming to be descendants of the Sulu Sultanate were reported to have taken legal action through arbitration at the Spanish Court to obtain compensation over the alleged leasing of Sabah by their ancestors to the British East India Company in 1878. - Bernama
