[UPDATED] Sulu claims: closed-door briefing on the cards tonight?

KUALA LUMPUR – The government will reportedly be holding a closed-door briefing at the Seri Pacific Hotel tonight for lawmakers over the issue involving the claim by the heirs to the Sulu sultanate. 

Speaking at a presser in the Dewan Rakyat today, Teo Nie Ching (Kulai-PH) claimed she, along with other independent MPs and those from the opposition bloc, have received a “confidential” invitation to attend a briefing at the hotel in the capital which will be conducted by three ministers.

Teo said the MPs will be briefed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah. 

“After the briefing, there will be a closed-door question-and-answer session,” she said. 

She then questioned the government on the need to rent another space to hold the briefing when the discussion could be held in the Dewan Rakyat, stressing that it is wasteful and unnecessary spending.

“If we can rent the ballroom of a five-star hotel and there will be three ministers who will be doing the briefing, why can’t parliamentarians debate on this issue in the Dewan Rakyat? 

“Did the government not say that there’s a need to cut costs due to rising costs of living?

“Why do we want to waste money to rent the ballroom but not use the existing facility which is the Parliament?” she questioned.

Meanwhile, Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin, who was also present, said he appreciated the engagement session and took it as a sign that the government is willing to answer questions from MPs, although it’s a closed-door briefing. 

However, he hopes that a formal session, where the matter can be debated and recorded in the Parliament’s Hansard, can be held. 

“The closed-door session does not satisfy the rakyat, as the briefing is only for MPs. Where is the people’s right to know what is actually going on?

“Once again, I persuade the speaker to accept the motion submitted by the Putatan MP to allow us (MPs) to debate the issue. 

“It would suffice even if it’s in the second chamber (kamar khas),” Chan said. 

Yesterday, Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun stood his ground on not allowing debates on the seizure of Petronas assets by Sulu claimants, as he opined that this would compromise the government’s international response to the situation.

“Do we want to debate this? I don’t know what will be said, the government’s strategy is revealed, and there are criticisms of it.

“Then the other side can learn (our strategy). 

“Would that not hurt the government’s interest in its litigation proceedings? Do we want to show our strategy to the world?”

“The first rule of litigation is the element of surprise; the first rule of war is the same,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today, adding that it was his responsibility to ensure that the government’s strategies were not revealed.

The Financial Times had earlier reported that the Luxembourg-registered subsidiaries of Petronas, Petronas Azerbaijan (Shah Deniz) and Petronas South Caucus, which the company manages in Azerbaijan, were seized by bailiffs on behalf of the defunct sultanate’s descendants.

Responding to the report, Petronas admitted they have been served with “saisie-arret” on July 11 but clarified that the two firms had been divested of all its assets and the proceeds from the exercise have been duly repatriated.

It is unclear whether the two companies were still active in Azerbaijan when the legal letters were served.

“Petronas views the actions taken against it as baseless and is working vigorously to defend its legal position on this matter,” it said.

The seizure is part of the award issued by a French arbitration court totalling US$14.9 billion to the heirs of the defunct Sulu sultanate.

Last Friday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the cabinet agreed to set up a special task force to examine, monitor and formulate appropriate legal action to address the issue of claims by the heirs of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II (sultan of Sulu) against the Malaysian government.

Wan Junaidi confirmed that the task force will be led by himself.

Other members, he said, include Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun, and international arbitration experts. – The Vibes, July 21, 2022