Malaysia opposes the Philippines’ new maritime border claim

ANCHOR:

Malaysia on Sunday rejected the Philippines’ new maritime border claim, saying it would fight any claim to its territory.

“Malaysia is an independent sovereign nation that will fight any claim to our lands,” Foreign Minister Mohamed Hassan said in response to a diplomatic communication submitted by the Philippines to the UN, local English newspaper Star reported.

It comes after Manila recently told the UN it was expanding its continental shelf but laid claims to the Malaysian state of Sabah.

Malaysia submitted a diplomatic note to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres late last month rejecting a submission by the Philippines to the UN.

Manila had registered its claim to an extensive continental shelf in the West Palawan region of the South China Sea, “defining the areas of the seabed in which it has sovereign and exclusive exploitation rights for natural resources.”

“In its note, the Philippines claims that its maritime border runs through Sabah. If that is used as a yardstick, then he is claiming that Sabah belongs to the Philippines,” Mohamad said.

Also read: Philippine president calls for de-escalation in South China Sea

Mohamad, also known as Tok Mat, added that Sabah and Sarawak officially became part of Malaysia decades ago, which was recognized by the UN.

“We are an independent and sovereign nation and nobody can just come and claim some of our land,” he said.

The dispute over ownership of Sabah, located at the northern tip of Borneo, stems from colonial-era agreements.

Malaysia incorporated Sabah in 1963, prompting Manila to make a formal claim, arguing that Sabah “rightfully” belonged to the Philippines.

Kuala Lumpur, however, maintains that the territory was legally ceded to it by the British.

The dispute continued, flaring periodically over diplomatic memos, legal actions, and even armed raids.