Selepas terdedahnya surat Tommy Thomas AG PH tahun 2019 kini Anifah Aman bekas Menteri Luar pula menyalahkan punca sebenar kerana tindakan Shafie Bekas KM melayan tuntutan Filipina terhadap Sabah. Tahun 2019 Shafie iktiraf pendirian Charles C. Jose.

Keberanian pihak yang mendakwa waris Kesultanan Sulu menuntut kedaulatan negeri Sabah adalah disebabkan kurang pengalaman diplomasi antarabangsa oleh bekas Ketua Menteri Sabah pada tahun 2018.

Perkara itu kata Presiden Parti Cinta Sabah, Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, apabila bekas ketua menteri tersebut mengambil tindakan semborono melayan tuntutan waris Kesultanan Sulu dengan mahu mengadakan perbincangan dan rundingan bersama Filipina.

[ARTIKEL BERKAITAN- Filipina kekal tuntut Sabah dan Kerajaan negeri bantu warga Filipina tanpa dokumen di Sabah ]

Filipina lebih kerap menuntut Sabah selepas layanan Ketua Menteri Sabah kepada Duta Filipina pada tahun 2019

Anifah yang juga bekas Menteri Luar berkata, pendekatan terbaik yang sewajarnya dilakukan oleh bekas ketua menteri interim itu ialah tidak mengiktiraf tuntutan tersebut.

"Semasa saya menjawat jawatan Menteri Luar, Filipina tidak berpernah bertegas (tuntutan) seperti sekarang. Saya menyalahkan bekas ketua menteri Sabah interim yang lalu (2018) disebabkan kurang pengalaman dan tidak tahu menanganinya menyebabkan Filipina berani membuat tuntutan tidak berasas itu.

"Hal ini membuktikan bagaimana beliau mengabaikan sejarah negara dan undang-undang antarabangsa sekali gus mengugat kedaulatan negeri," katanya dalam kenyataan pada Ahad.

Anifah sebelum ini pernah memberi nasihat kepada bekas ketua menteri Sabah itu untuk mengambil masa dan belajar hubungan diplomasi serta cara untuk mengendalikan hubungan antarabangsa bagi mengelak kesilapan terutama melibatkan kedaulatan negara.

Beliau turut merujuk nasihat itu kepada bekas Peguam Negara, Tommy Thomas yang tidak mengambil berat tentang implikasi surat yang diutus kepada Paul Cohen dan pihak timbang tara Dr Gonzalo Stampa.

"Saya kekal dengan pendirian tidak mengiktiraf dan melayan sebarang tuntutan pihak tertentu terhadap Sabah.

"Ini kerana, Sabah diiktiraf oleh United Nations (UN) dan masyarakat antarabangsa sebagai sebahagian dalam Malaysia sejak penubuhan Persekutuan pada 16 September 1963.

"Malah, rakyat Sabah juga memilih pada tahun 1963 untuk membentuk Malaysia berbanding menjadi sebahagian daripada Filipina," katanya.

Baru-baru ini, Wisma Putra dan Peguam Negara dalam kenyataan bersama mengatakan bahawa Malaysia telah menolak perintah timbang tara Perancis untuk membayar hampir RM63 bilion kepada waris Kesultanan Sulu.

Tambah kenyataan bersama itu lagi, kerajaan Malaysia tidak mengiktiraf tuntutan itu dan tidak mengambil bahagian dalam prosiding timbang tara itu kerana Malaysia sentiasa mempertahankan dan tidak pernah mengetepikan kedaulatannya sebagai sebuah negara berdaulat.

Hari ini Najib juga mendedahkan surat Tommy Thomas Peguam Negara PH tahun 2019 sebagai sebahagian dari punca tuntutan Warisan Sultan Sulu kepada Malaysia. 

[ARTIKEL BERKAITAN- Surat Peguam Negara PH Tommy Thomas 2019 punca tuntutan RM63 bilion Waris Sultan Sulu terhadap Sabah ]

 

KENYATAAN PENUH ANIFAH

STATEMENT BY YBHG DATUK SERI PANGLIMA ANIFAH HAJI AMAN, PRESIDENT PARTI CINTA SABAH AND FORMER MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MALAYSIA ON THE ISSUE OF CLAIMS ON SABAH

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• Sabah, which was known as North Borneo, before it joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963, was part of the Sultanate of Brunei in the 15^th In 1704, the Sultan of Brunei ceded the lands east of Marudu Bay to the Sultan of Sulu, while the west coast remained under his rule.

• On 22 January 1878, the Paduca Majasari Maulana, Sultan Jalalul Alam, Sultan of Sulu entered into an agreement with Baron de Overback and Alfred Dent of the British North Borneo Company. In 1946, the company surrendered the territory to the British Crown after it was unable to reconstruct the shattered state after the war with the Japanese.

Payment of Cession Money

• According to British Archives documents, the 1878 Agreement between the Sultan of Sulu and Baron de Overback stipulated that the Sultan cede the territory in North Borneo in perpetuity. Under the Agreement, the heirs and successors of the Sultan were entitled to receive the sum of five thousand Mexican pesos annually and accruing from the supplementary deed of 1903, an additional sum of three hundred was given annually – thus bringing the annual payment to five thousand and three hundred.

• Sultan Jamarul Alam died in 1881 and was succeeded by his son Badrudi Din who passed away in 1884. When the Spanish Government intervened and appointed the unpopular Sultan Datu Harun ar-Rashid in 1886, there was considerable disorder. Finally in 1894, the succession of Sultan Jamalul Kiram was recognized by the Spanish Government until the time of his death in 1936, he enjoyed the monies payable under the terms of the deeds of 1878 and 1903.

• In November 1919, Sultan Jamalul Kiram made a will on the disposition of his property in the Philippines, Borneo and Singapore. He named his niece, Dayang-dayang Hadji Piandano Kiram for half his estate and another half to be divided between his other two nieces, Putli Tarhata Kiram and Putli Sakirnur-in Kiram. Sultan Jalalul Kiram died in 1936 and the payment was stopped until 1939 because he had no heir. The death of Sultan Jamalul Kiram created confusion.

• Firstly, the Philippine Government would no longer recognize the title of Sultan or attribute to the holder, i.e. to anyone recognized by the people of Sulu as Sultan, any of the attenuated prerogatives enjoyed by the late Sultan Jamalul Kiram. Secondly, complications developed on the distribution of cession money.

• Finally, in a judgment made by Judge C.F. Macaskie, Chief Justice of the High Court of Borneo on 18 December 1939, nine persons were entitled to the cession money including the three nieces mentioned in Sultan Jamalul Kiram’s will.

 

Payment of Cession Money

• The Malaysian Government pays the cession money annually to the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu since 1968. Based on the Macaskie Judgment, there are nine heirs. By this time they have all passed away. At present, all the cession money entitled to the nine original heirs are taken over by their administrators.

• Towards the late 1990s, there were efforts by the Philippine side to unite the Sulu Heirs surrounding the propriety claim. The purpose was to ensure a united outlook among the heirs and for them to have a common platform and greater leverage in dealing with the Aquino Government on their propriety interests as well as in the negotiations with Malaysian Government on the settlement. It could not be ruled out that the efforts were largely driven by monetary attractions in view of the expected substantial amount of settlement money that would be involved.

• The emergence of various claimants being the Sulu Sultan are a product of misinformation and misinterpretation of the spoils of the claim. The “fake” Sultan believes that all the riches of the claims will come to the Sulu Sultan. Hence there is a long queue clamoring for the “crown”.

 

Lahad Datu Intrusion

• On 9 February 2013, 235 people claiming to be members of the “Royal Sulu Sultanate Army” staged an armed intrusion in Lahad Datu. The attack was met with armed retaliation from the Malaysian authorities after negotiations towards a peaceful surrender over the period of about one month failed.

Conclusion

• I've always maintained that we do not recognize and will not entertain any claims by any party on Sabah. Sabah is recognized by the United Nations (UN) and the international community as part of Malaysia since the formation of the Federation on 16 September 1963. The people of Sabah chose in 1963 to form Malaysia instead of being part of the Philippines.
• During my time as the Foreign Minister, Philippines was never this bold unlike current times. This was brought on due to the Sabah caretaker Chief minister two years ago recklessness in acknowledging the claim by wanting to discuss and negotiate with Philippines which automatically acknowledges the claim whereas my approach which has always been the right approach was not to recognise any claim.
• I blame the Sabah Caretaker Chief Minister’s at the time’s lack of experience or know how for this blunder which has led to Philippines becoming braver with its baseless claims on Sabah. This proves how ignorant the then Sabah Caretaker Chief Minister is on our history and international law, as well as potentially harming our Sovereignty.
• At the time I advised the then caretaker chief minister to take time and learn the language of diplomatic relations and how to handle international relations to avoid further blunders in future with regards to our Sovereignty. This advice also applies to the then Attorney General Tommy Thomas as well who did not think of the implications of his letter to Paul Cohen which was also copied to Dr Gonzalo Stampa the arbitrator.
• I’ve said this before, and recent events only proves that what I had warned the then Federal and State Government of has happened.

ANIFAH AMAN

13 MARCH 2022

END OF STATEMENT

 

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