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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will continue to take all active measures to further strengthen its sovereign immunity and engage all stakeholders in its pursuit of upholding the sanctity of arbitration internationally over the claim by the so-called heirs to the deceased sultan of Sulu.
The Special Secretariat on Sulu Claims said in a statement today that this included pursuing action against any Malaysians found to have provided material support, directly or indirectly, to the claimants or to any associated parties in the purported arbitration against Malaysia.
“The Malaysian government will not hesitate to defend any Malaysian public officials who performed their duties rightfully, including the attorney-general, in this matter,” it said.
According to the secretariat, the French court will decide tomorrow (June 6) whether the purported partial award demanded by claimants against Malaysia will be enforced.
On June 3, the Malaysian government denied in full and without limitation the allegations and insinuations in a letter sent by Paul H. Cohen, the lawyer to the party claiming to be the heir of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, the claimant of the Sulu group, to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
The letter, dated May 28, was received by the chambers the following day (May 29).
According to the chambers, the letter demanded the government make immediate payment before June 2, 2023 of the purported final award, amounting to US$16.41 billion (RM75.1 billion) including 10% interest, together with US$3,502,394.24 in counsel and expert fees and US$4,026,592.64 in arbitration costs.
Considering that the legal proceedings are still ongoing, the chambers said, it was totally outrageous for the claimants to demand the payment of the purported final award, adding that the allegations by Cohen were obviously false and in clear blatant disregard of the inescapable true facts of the claims, which will create a false written record to be eventually used against Malaysia. – Bernama, June 5, 2023
