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Borneo (Sabah)

December 12, 2025

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KOTA KINABALU (Dec 11): Former Chief Minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee has called for the Philippines to finally put to rest its long-standing claim over Sabah, following the definitive conclusion of the US$14.9 billion Sulu arbitration claim against Malaysia.

Yong said the Philippines’ claim has always been anchored on the historical Sulu claim dating back to 1878. With multiple European courts — including the Paris Court of Appeal — ruling decisively against the Sulu heirs, he said the legal and political foundations of the Philippines’ claim have now collapsed.

“The finality of the Paris court and other European courts has shown that the Sulu claim was an attempt in futility,” he said.

“Without the Sulu claim, the Philippines’ claim inevitably falls because it has absolutely no basis. The people of the Philippines should now see that their government’s pursuit of the Sabah claim is an exercise in absolute futility.”

Yong urged Manila to “move on” and focus instead on strengthening neighbourly ties with Malaysia, particularly between Sabah and the southern Philippines.

As a concrete step towards closing the issue once and for all, Yong proposed that the Philippines establish a consulate in Sabah to provide essential consular services to the large Filipino community residing in the state.

“The setting up of a Philippines Consulate in Sabah would be a clear and definitive action that the claim is over,” he said.

He added that Malaysia must also assert the correct historical record, emphasising that the relevant document concerning Sabah’s status is the grant dated 29 December 1877 — not the frequently cited 22 January 1878 grant.

“The 1877 and other documents prove that Sabah, then North Borneo, was never part of Sulu. It is now the responsibility of the Malaysian government to pursue the establishment of a Philippines consulate in Sabah.”

Yong said it is time for both nations, and especially the people of the Philippines, to move forward and build constructive relations based on mutual respect and reality rather than historical misconceptions.

The Paris Court of Appeal has fully annulled the “Final Award” issued by arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa on 28 Feb 2022, and ordered the Sulu claimants to pay costs amounting to €200,000 (USD232,734) to Malaysia.

The court found that Stampa had no jurisdiction to issue the “Final Award” as there was no valid arbitration agreement binding Malaysia.

Earlier, the Paris Court of Appeal had rejected the recognition and enforcement of the “Partial Award” on 6 June 2023, and the French Court of Cassation upheld that decision on 6 Nov 2024.

Previously, eight Philippine nationals claiming to be heirs of the now-defunct Sulu Sultanate initiated arbitration proceedings in Spain, seeking billions in compensation from Malaysia over Sabah.

In March 2019, a Madrid court appointed Stampa as arbitrator for the case.

On 28 Feb 2022, Stampa issued a “Final Award” amounting to USD14.9 billion in favour of the claimants through an invalid arbitration process, as his appointment had already been revoked by the Spanish court.

The court found that Stampa had no jurisdiction to issue the “Final Award” as there was no valid arbitration agreement binding Malaysia.

Earlier, the Paris Court of Appeal had rejected the recognition and enforcement of the “Partial Award” on 6 June 2023, and the French Court of Cassation upheld that decision on 6 Nov 2024.

Previously, eight Philippine nationals claiming to be heirs of the now-defunct Sulu Sultanate initiated arbitration proceedings in Spain, seeking billions in compensation from Malaysia over Sabah.

In March 2019, a Madrid court appointed Stampa as arbitrator for the case.