More ‘frivolous’ demands

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia rejects what it terms as frivolous allegations by the self-styled group, United Tausug Citizens (UTC), which claim to be the “rightful custodians of the Sultanate of Sulu Territory” over Sabah, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said UTC had asked the Malaysian government for an immediate payment of US$15bil (RM70bil) in what it dubbed “cession money”.

It demanded recognition as “a sovereign and independent state kingdom” and threatened to commence legal action against Malaysia in the United States.

“This represents the latest frivolous and baseless attempt by a group to claim sovereignty over Malaysian territory and to extort unfounded payments from Malaysia,” Azalina said in a statement yesterday, reported Bernama.

She noted that Malaysia is successfully defeating across Europe a similar attempt by the self-proclaimed heirs of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II based on a fraudulent arbitration award issued by rogue arbitrator Dr Gonzalo Stampa.

“The Sulu Sultanate has been defunct for several decades and is not recognised by any sovereign state or international organisation,” she added.

Moreover, she highlighted the recent conviction of Dr Gonzalo Stampa by a Madrid Criminal Court to six months’ imprisonment and one-year disqualification from practising as an arbitrator, which confirmed the criminal abuse of the arbitral processes and gross injustices suffered by Malaysia as a result of the so-called Sulu case.

Azalina reaffirmed Malaysia’s steadfast stance on Sabah, stressing that the Malaysian government has once again emphasised that the exercise of self-determination by Sabah to become part of Malaysia has been a settled legal fact since decolonisation in 1963.

Since then, Sabah has been an integral part of Malaysia.

In light of these developments, she said the international commercial arbitration system is an important mechanism in global dispute resolution and must be protected from such illegitimate attempts to extort sovereign states under the guise of arbitration claims.

“The government of Malaysia is actively looking at all possible legal remedies against any frivolous claims, to defend its sovereignty, security and interests at all times,” she added.