The Sabah Claim Issue: A Thorn in Malaysia-Philippines Relations
March 6, 2013 http://www.nst.com.my The Sabah Claim Issue: A Thorn in Malaysia-Philippines Relations LONG-STANDING: The Philippines' claim on Sabah has remained unresolved for nearly 50 years, writes Dr Paridah Abd Samad–Part 1 The level of irritation in the relationship between Malaysia and the Philippines is considered unnatural for two immediate neighbours who belong to a common regional grouping. The Philippine's claim on Sabah, one of Malaysia's 13 states, is an issue that has remained unresolved for nearly 50 years. Once a part of the Sultanate of Sulu, Sabah's land area exceeds 29,000 square miles, smaller than neighbouring Mindanao by about 8,000 square miles. Its centuries-old ties with the Philippines are indicated by the fact that inhabitants of both came from the same racial stock and have similar customs and traditions. The Sultan of Brunei originally ruled this part of Borneo, but in 1704, the Sultan of Sulu helped suppress an uprising ther...