KOTA KINABALU: An individual claiming to be the heir of the Sulu sultanate disagrees with the actions of a group of individuals in taking the Sulu dispute to the Spanish Constitutional Court because they are not legal heirs.
Datu Omar Ali Datu Bachtiyal opined that the action of the group of individuals in bringing the dispute and arbitration process to the Spanish Constitutional Court was incorrect and illegal.
“In my opinion, it is not valid because we know that (the facts about the heirs) are mixed up, and if we really study (their status) is doubtful so this (status) is not true for me,” he told
Bernama recently.
He said the Sulu dispute could be properly negotiated with all parties and the arbitration process carried out through peaceful discussions without any contention.
“We can negotiate… we just want what is best for both parties, we also want to help develop Sabah. It’s better that we discuss it with the Malaysian government,” he said.
Datu Omar Ali, 64, said he was never consulted by the group of individuals involved before they took the arbitration process to the Spanish Constitutional Court.
“No communications, we were left in the dark, we did not know anything,” he said while claiming to know some of the individuals involved and having met them previously.
Explaining the claim by one of the claimants in the Sulu dispute (at the Spanish Constitutional Court) namely Taj Mahal Kiram-Tarsum Nuqui that he is the heir of Dayang Dayang Piandao, a princess and one of the administrators of the Sulu sultanate in 1936, Datu Omar Ali said this was not true as she did not have any children.
“Taj Mahal is the grandson of Tarahata and not of Dayang Dayang Piandao. When he says he is the grandson of Dayang Dayang Piandao, it is a lie. Dayang Dayang Piandao never had a child, so how can she have a grandchild?” he said.
Datu Omar Ali claims that he is the heir from the lineage of Dayang Dayang Piandao. Dayang Dayang Piandao, who married Datu Ombra Amilbangsa, ascended the throne to become Sultanah in 1937 until her death in 1945.
Datu Omar Ali claims that his father and Datu Ombra Amilbangsa, who later became the Sulu Sultan in 1937, were first cousins.
