KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has launched the Sulu Fraud vs Malaysia’s Truth ebook on Monday (Feb 12) to celebrate the progress made by the Malaysian government in combatting the fraudulent Sulu Claims.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) stated that the book provides insight into the abuses and injustices against all Malaysians, the historical background of the case, the involvement of (litigation funder) Therium, and Malaysia’s significant victories in the European courts.
During her working visit to Brussels, Belgium, Azalina mentioned that the timeline of the case is included in the book to chronologically map out the events and legal proceedings from the historic 1878 leading up to the present time.
“As the ebook details, the Sulu fraud has raised several alarming concerns, among others, the importance of upholding ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism and good practices among the pool of international arbitrators, being the cornerstone of a legitimate arbitration.
“We are launching this ebook here today, with Brussels being the headquarters of the European Union (EU), and (it) will be disseminated to all the ambassadors in Malaysia and Malaysian ambassadors across the globe,” she said in her speech.
She called on all Malaysians to stand together in fighting the Sulu claims and to build a basic understanding of this legal battle, either through the Malaysia-Sulu case website or the ebook.
She also mentioned the criminal conviction of Spanish arbitrator Dr Gonzalo Stampa, calling it unprecedented and a positive development, while acknowledging the Spanish court’s decision as an effective deterrent to the scurrilous actions of the perpetrators behind the Sulu Fraud.
Azalina said this landmark decision also indicated the international legal community’s commitment to uphold the rule of law.
She added that it was a timely call-out to the global arbitration fraternity, revealing uncharted waters, in particular the regulation of the professional ethics of the arbitrators.
Furthermore, the Malaysian government is calling for an urgent review and global reform for the enhancement of the third-party litigation industry following its experience in the high-profile Sulu Claims.
During her working visit, a separate statement from the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department said that Azalina also met with delegates from across the EU to discuss matters relating to the EU’s legal affairs and Malaysia’s ongoing US$14.92bil legal dispute with the so-called heirs and successors-in-interest of the then Sultan of Sulu (“the Sulu Claims”) in four EU member states, including the recent conviction of Stampa in Spain. – Bernama
