KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor emphasized that Sabah’s sovereignty within Malaysia should not be questioned in response to recent claims made by a group known as the United Tausug Citizens (UTC).
The Chief Minister pointed out that Sabahans opted to join the Federation of Malaysia through the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), making any external claims against the state invalid in the eyes of the Sabah government and its people.
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Hajiji echoed the Federal Government’s firm stance against entertaining UTC’s claims, stating that Sabah also has international support on this issue.
“The state government unequivocally denies any claim on Sabah that challenges the state’s sovereignty within the Federation of Malaysia.
“UTC or any other group’s claims on Sabah are merely attempts to disrupt the state’s peace and undermine the nation’s sovereignty,” he said in a statement released on Sunday.
Hajiji mentioned that even the claims made by the alleged heirs to the defunct Sulu Sultanate led to the imprisonment of the arbitrator Dr Gonzalo Stampa.
On Saturday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said stated that Malaysia rejects what it deems as baseless claims by UTC, who assert themselves as the “rightful custodians of the Sultanate of Sulu Territory” over Sabah. – Bernama
