'Malaysia wont entertain any claim on Sabah, period'

Malaysia will not be entertaining any claims over Sabah, be it from the descendants of the Sulu sultanate or any other parties, including the government of Philippines.

This was the stand of Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman when asked about recent news reports which has sparked concerns that Manila could be reviving the country’s claim over the eastern malaysian state.

“I have made it clear before. We don’t have to entertain any claim whatsoever. We won’t entertain any claim whatsoever,” Anifah told Astro Awani over the phone.

“They can do whatever they want,” he said, referring reported directive by the Filipino Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“I read it. We don’t need to comment. If I comment we are only responding to what they [are asking for].”

On Tuesday, Filipino media reported that the DFA directive was issued to all government agencies in the country barring anyone in the republic from calling Sabah as a Malaysian state.

In the reports, DFA had reminded all agencies of the Memorandum Circular No. 162 issued by Malacanang Palace back in 2008.

One report quoted lawyer Roy Ecraela, of the DFA Office of the Undersecretary of Special and Ocean Concerns, who said that the document directed government agencies to refer to Sabah as just Sabah and not Sabah, Malaysia.

“Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, na lang. Tanggalin na ‘yung Malaysia (Let’s just call it Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Leave out the Malaysia),” Ecraela was quoted as saying.

President Benigno Aquino said on March 18 that Philippines is open to negotiating with Malaysia, in what is regarded as a clear indication that Manila has not given up its claim to Sabah.

Later, it was reported that Manila had engaged a team of lawyers to study the country’s claim on Sabah.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had previously highlighted the Cobbold Commission’s 1962 referendum in Sabah and Sarawak, where about two-thirds of the people voted to be part of Malaysia.

The Sabah crisis was sparked off when a group of some 200 armed gunmen landed in Lahad Datu, Sabah on Feb 9. They are the followers of the self-proclaimed ‘Sultan’ of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III, and sought to ‘reclaim’ Sabah through the incursion.