KOTA KINABALU: A repository on Sabah's historical events including its relations with the defunct Sulu sultanate is taking shape under the state's Institute of Development Studies (IDS).

       The repository will be known as Research Centre for North Borneo History (RCNBH).

       IDS chief executive officer Dr Ramzah Dambul (pic) said a committee had been formed with pro-tem members including those who had been working on historical records of Sabah for years.

       "In terms of gathering records, actually that is already in place with the pro-tem members having done work for so many years (on their own interest).

       "The issue is to establish a proper repository centre to house all the material, also to support consolidating this effort under one umbrella. So it will have more impact," he said when contacted on Wednesday (June 22).

       Ramzah said the RCNBH could take up to six months and would need the endorsement of the Chief Minister's Department and the state Cabinet.

       "It very much depends on how fast the governmental process will take place," he said on the question of how long it would take to formalise the centre.

       Ramzah added that RCNBH was not a "mere repository centre" for all documents but also a platform to bind all the activities leading to the issue of the Sulu claim through research and exchanging ideas among others.

       "We basically also consolidate all the experts under this centre - so the perspective will be stronger and more precise," he said.

       State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun recently suggested IDS to handle the North Borneo history repository after the Sabah Attorney General's office was reluctant.

       The Sabah Law Society (SLS) has been pressing the state government to set up a repository that will put in place a proper and documented perspective of Sabah’s history with regard to the Sulu sultanate for the Federal Government’s reference.

       SLS president Roger Chin had pushed for a legal repository under Sabah AGC that would have complete historical background and legal arguments of any international cases related to Sabah claims.

       The proposal for the repository came after the SLS hosted webinar in April on the Philippines/Sulu claims, where speakers included former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, Singapore-based Queen’s Counsel Dr Colin Ong and former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee.

       The webinar highlighted that the collection of information, including crucial historical information, was haphazard and spread out over disparate individuals.

       Thomas had said that when he was attorney general, he was not aware of certain historical documents when handling the Federal Government’s case against the so-called Sulu heirs. Sabah does not recognise the Sulu claim.

       Issues to strengthen Malaysia and Sabah’s arguments against the Sulu claims came after the Paris arbitration court’s decision to award RM64bil to Sulu heirs earlier this year. Malaysia has filed an appeal against the decision.