Sabah’s status, maritime interests must be defended through law, evidence, says Warisan man

KOTA KINABALU (Aug 28): Warisan, the Malaysian political party, maintains that Sabah's status as part of Malaysia and its maritime interests must be defended through facts, law, and evidence, rather than relying on political conflation. Christopher Masudal, Strategic Communication Director for Warisan, addressed former chief minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee's allegations.

Masudal clarified that Warisan does not recognize or support the Philippines' claim over Sabah, emphasizing that the issues of the Philippines-China arbitration under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 2016, the Philippines' claim over Sabah, and its submission for an extended continental shelf in West Palawan are separate legal proceedings.

Masudal explained that the 2016 arbitration case focused on maritime entitlements, historic rights, and China's conduct in the South China Sea, but did not determine sovereignty over land territory or the maritime boundary between the parties. He further stated that Malaysia had lodged its objection to the Philippines' continental shelf submission and that the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf's recommendations on the outer limits of the continental shelf do not prejudice the delimitation of maritime boundaries between states.

Masudal challenged Yong Teck Lee to produce any statement by Warisan purportedly recognizing Philippine sovereignty over Sabah or its maritime entitlements, calling for evidence to support the allegation that Warisan had rejected the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) or abandoned Malaysia's position on Sabah. He reiterated that defending Sabah as part of Malaysia is not contradictory to demanding full compliance with MA63, maintaining peaceful relations with the Philippines, and supporting UNCLOS.