Malaysia summons Philippine Charge d' Affaires over claims on Sabah

Malaysian Foreign Ministry summoned the Philippine Charge d'Affaires on May 19 over recent remarks made by Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III on the Philippines'claim on Sabah, according to a statement of Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman on Sunday.

It said that Medardo G. Macaraig, the Philippine Charge d' Affaires, was summoned on May 19 over Aquino's remarks on the Philippines'claim on Sabah in an interview with Philippines journalist Raissa on May 15.

During the interview, Aquino said that he would not drop the Philippine claim to Sabah. "The government of Malaysia reiterates its position that Malaysia does not recognize and will not entertain any claims by any party on Sabah,"Anifah said in the statement, adding that Sabah is recognized by the UN and international community as part of Malaysia since Sept. 16, 1963.

The Philippines has made a territorial claim over the eastern part of Sabah, claiming that the territory, via the heritage of the Sultanate of Sulu, was only leased to the North Borneo Chartered Company in 1878 with the Sultanate's sovereignty never being relinquished.

Malaysia, however, considers this dispute as a"non-issue,"as it interprets the 1878 agreement as that of cession and it deems that the residents of Sabah had exercised their right to self- determination when they joined to form the Malaysian federation in 1963. Endi