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REFERENCE is made to the remarks by  the President of the Malaysian Bar (Forum, December 28, 2025) with the heading “End To The Sulu Nonsense.”

It is good to know that the Malaysian Bar has finally spoken up on the issue of the frivolous Sulu claim to Sabah. Let us be reminded that the initial success of the Sulu arbitration case in 2019 was a consequence of the handling (or mishandling) of the arbitration case by the federal authorities, including the federal AG Chambers. 

What Sabahans would expect of the Malaysian Bar is to focus less on the purported “Final Award” (RM61.24 billion) and more on the issue of the so-called Philippines/Sulu claim to Sabah. 

Let it not be the case of the Malaysian Bar being concerned only about the financial implications to Malaysia instead of the Philippines/Sulu claim. 

Now that the Sulu claim is deemed to be nonsense, it inevitably follows that the Philippines’ claim to Sabah is also nonsense because the Philippines’ claim to Sabah is a direct consequence solely of the Sulu claim. 

The Philippines Republic does not have a separate claim to Sabah. The Philippines claim to Sabah rested on the Sulu claim. 

I hope the Malaysian Bar will now urge the Malaysian government to take action to, once and for all, wipe out any lingering thoughts of the Philippines/Sulu claim to Sabah by:

1. Getting the Philippines to set up a Consulate at Kota Kinabalu to serve their citizens in Sabah,

2. Stop allowing the Philippines Embassy (in Kuala Lumpur) to provide consular services at Kota Kinabalu, like what was done at the KK Hilton Hotel on December 17, 2025 when a crowd of Filipino citizens gathered at the hotel,

3. Using all the leverages available to Malaysia to make the Philippines government bury their so-called Sabah claim, and

4. Educating the Malaysian authorities that the relevant document in question was the grant of 29 December 1877 instead of the grant of 22 January 1878. The grant of 1877 (from Brunei to Overbeck) proved that Sulu never owned Sabah (North Borneo). But, somehow, it seems that the Malaysian authorities continue to rely on the 1878 grant (from Sulu to Overbeck). The question is WHY?

Datuk Yong Teck Lee 

Sabah Ex-CM May 1996- May 1998

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