10/07/2026
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Recently, Erlinda Fadera-Basilio responded to my comments on the 2016 Arbitral Award.
While she is entitled to her opinion, as I am to mine, the issue of the Sabah claim has always left me with profound unease.
Malaysia's position has always been clear and unequivocal: Malaysia does not recognise any foreign claim over Sabah. The suggestion that βSabah belongs to the Philippinesβ is baseless, flawed, and completely dead in the water.
Sabah has been recognised by the United Nations and the international community as part of Malaysia since the formation of the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. More importantly, the people of Sabah exercised their right to self-determination through the Cobbold Commission process, leading to the formation of Malaysia. Sabah is one of the region that formed Malaysia.
Whether the Philippine claim is dormant or not, Basilio herself acknowledges that old territorial wounds are being reopened through the Philippinesβ submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. This itself could be a destabilising factor.
Malaysia will continue to pursue good neighbourly relations and constructive engagement within ASEAN. However, our commitment to regional cooperation will never come at the expense of our sovereignty. Sabah is, and will always remain, an inseparable part of Malaysia.
Finally, I believe in freedom of speech, including the freedom to be interviewed by the media.
