Muslim scholars aiding Manila on Sabah claim
Debra Chong, TMI
Manila is reportedly getting advice from its top Muslim scholars to study the country’s dormant claim to Sabah despite the north Borneo state being under Malaysian governance for the past 50 years.
Citing an unnamed source, The Philippine Star reported today President Benigno Aquino III (picture) has consulted professors from the republic’s top schools, including the University of the Philippines, to get an insight and to provide historical context to the sensitive territorial issue following a renewed bid by a Filipino Muslim clan to reclaim its 17th-century stake over Sabah.
“We have been consulting with Muslim scholars, some of them are even elderly,” an insider from the president’s office was quoted as saying.
Sabah has been a part of Malaysia since 1963 following the Cobbold Commission’s 1962 referendum in the state and neighbouring Sarawak, where about two-thirds of the people voted to be part of Malaysia.
The Philippine claim on Sabah had been dormant since then, until it was revived two months ago by a southern Filipino faction under the leadership of self-style Sulu Sultan Jamallul Kiram III, whose forces landed in a village near Lahad Datu on February 9 and have been waging a guerilla battle against Malaysian security forces.
Putrajaya has been paying an annual stipend of RM5,300 to Manila on the basis of the Sulu sultanate ceding the north Borneo state.
On March 19, it was reported that Manila had engaged a team of lawyers to study the country’s claim on Sabah amid clashes between Filipino gunmen and Malaysian security forces there.
“Are they kidding when they say we have given up our claim? We’re paying so much for the lawyers to study the claim,” Philippine Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras was quoted as saying then.
Aquino has reportedly assured the Kiram clan his government will study carefully the country’s claim to Sabah, saying the process may take a long time since all the stakeholders concerned would have to be consulted on the matter.
“So that has to go through the process. The concerned agencies, offices, etc, will have to provide comments,” Aquino was quoted as saying in The Philippine Star report today.
