KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will table a motion rejecting any territorial claims by the Philippines or self-styled heirs to the Sulu Sultanate in the next state assembly sitting if necessary, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

       He, however, said there was no necessity for such a motion as Sabah government and its people have never recognised the claim by Manila or any heirs to the Sultanate.

       “I would like to reiterate and stress that the state government has never recognised and will not recognise any claims by the Sulu Sultanate on Sabah.

       “The people of Sabah have already made their decision to be part of the new Federation of Malaysia that has been endorsed by the United Nations,” he said Thursday (March 24) when winding up the debates on the speech by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin.

       Hajiji was responding to calls by some assemblymen that a special motion be filed to reject the claims on Sabah by the Philippines and heirs of the Sulu Sultanate following a Paris court decision against Malaysia when it awarded RM62bil to the heirs of the Sulu Sultanate.

       Hajiji told the House that the issue on the claims was under the purview of the Federal Government and was being handled by Wisma Putra and Attorney General’s Chambers.

       State opposition leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal asked for the state government to push the Federal Government to resolve the “never ending” issue once and for all, similar to what was done with Indonesia.

       Shafie said Indonesia’s claim on Sabah’s Pulau Sipadan and Pulau Ligitan ended with no further issues on the matter between the two countries when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared the islands as part of Malaysia.

       On another matter, Hajiji said that Sabah was still pursuing the return of 40% federal revenue earned for the state.

       He said that the return of 40% of federal revenue from the state was in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

       He also said that the state was continuing to pursue its continental shelf claim under the North Borneo (Alteration of Boundaries) Order in Council 1954 that was superseded by the Territorial Sea Act 2012.

       Hajiji said that the matter was being discussed with the Federal Government under the Special Council on MA63.

       On the issue of returning power to the Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri to appoint judicial commissioners, Hajiji said that the matter is being discussed with the Judiciary.

       He also said that the state government has no plan to change the name of the Chief Minister’s post to Premier as was done in Sarawak.