Philippines to continue ‘healthy’ relations with Malaysia despite Sabah issue

The Philippines will continue to pursue good relations with Malaysia despite their long-running dispute over resource-rich Sabah, Malacañang said Thursday.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque gave the assurance after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. drew Kuala Lumpur’s ire after he asserted that Sabah is not part of Malaysia.

“This matter should not affect our ongoing bilateral ties with Malaysia. It has not affected it in the recent years and we will continue to have healthy bilateral relations with Malaysia despite the issue of Sabah,” Roque said in a televised briefing.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Wednesday said he would summon Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Charles Jose over Locsin’s “irresponsible” statement, which was a comment on the tweet by the US Embassy in Manila on the assistance given to Filipinos who were recently repatriated from Sabah.

Not to be outdone, Locsin tweeted on Thursday that he would also summon the Malaysian ambassador to explain Hishammuddin’s criticism of his social media post.

The Cabinet official added that no country “can tell another what it can and cannot say about what the latter regards as rightfully its own.” Aside from Sabah, the Philippines claims a portion of the South China Sea.

“There will be no resolution to these territorial disputes in the near future but we will proceed with our bilateral relations with all other countries with whom we have ongoing disputes,” Roque said.

Sabah, located on the island of Borneo just south of Mindanao, was annexed to Malaysia when it gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1963.

But Malaysia continues to yearly pay rent to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, who claim to be the descendants of the original Filipino sultan who had control over the territory for centuries.

“Sa mula’t-mula po kinikilala natin na mayroon tayong conflicting claim on territory over Sabah,” Roque said.

“Ang Sabah po ay binigay po sa atin ng ating mga kapatid na galing sa Brunei, ibinigay naman po sa Sultanate of Sulu na inassign naman po sa Republika ng Pilipinas.”

Relations between Manila and Kuala Lumpur endured even after the Philippines, under then President Diosdado Macapagal, asserted its claim to Sabah in the 1960s. — RSJ, GMA News