Sabah not extensively discussed in Marcos visit to Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR —The issue on Sabah was mentioned during President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Malaysia, however, the matter was not extensively discussed.

Marcos told the Philippine media delegation that it is clear to the parties involved that a decision on the matter will not be made during the short period of his visit.

“Nababanggit, lagi namang nababanggit ‘yun eh. Hindi maiiwasan, mayroon naman talaga tayong outstanding claim, hindi natin binabawi, so but… I mean it’s clear to  all the parties involved na hindi naman puwedeng madedecide ‘yan ngayon,” Marcos said.

“Kung mag-uusap, you have to do something much larger, much more involved than just a quick discussion of five, ten minute discussion with the leaders,” he added.

The President said his state visit focused on other things, such as trade relations and Malaysia’s help in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“The consensus is that we just talked about everything else. We talked about trade, we talked about the help that Malaysia has been providing to the development of the BARMM,” Marcos said.

The President said the issue on Sabah is “something that neither the Philippines [nor] the Malaysia is withdrawing.”

The two governments, however, will work with each other to avoid any conflict in their relations.

“There’s a tacit agreement at the very least that we talked about all of the things that are solvable, all the issues that we can actually do,” Marcos said.

“So when the time comes, we absolutely come back to the issue,” the President added.

Located south of Mindanao, Sabah has long been the subject of a territorial dispute between the Philippines and Malaysia.

A Philippine claim for sovereignty over Sabah has lain dormant for decades, but Malaysia has paid a yearly rent to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu.

However, this stopped in 2013 after an armed intrusion in Sabah by forces said to be linked to the Sulu sultanate to reclaim rights over Sabah.

Malaysia has maintained that Sabah has been recognized by the United Nations and the international community as part of Malaysia since the formation of the Malaysia Federation in 1963.—LDF, GMA Integrated News