KUCHING, March 16: The Paris Court of Appeal has dismissed the bid by the defunct Sulu Sultanate’s ‘heirs’ to enforce a purported ‘Final Award’.
Malaysia’s special secretariat dealing with the Sulu claimants’ matter in a statement today said that on March 14, 2023, the court delivered a decision pertaining to the Sulu claimants challenge to a stay of enforcement of the purported Final Award.
“On July 27, 2022, the Sulu claimants filed a challenge against the stay order, to which the hearing on the merits was held on Jan 16.
“The Paris Court of Appeal on March 14, subsequently delivered its decision, noting that the challenge filed by the Sulu claimants is inadmissible.
“Hence, the stay obtained by Malaysia on 12th July 2022 for the enforcement of the purported Final Award remains,” it said.
The secretariat said Malaysia wishes to note that the stay order granted on July 12, 2022 is an exceptional decision and it serves to reinforce Malaysia’s position that the purported commercial arbitration instituted by the Sulu claimants is without legitimate basis and does affect Malaysia’s territorial sovereignty.
It added Malaysia will continue to defend itself robustly in all legal fora against all forms of lawfare instituted by her adversaries.
On Sept 30, 2022, former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament) Dato Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar opined the latest attempt to seize Malaysia’s alleged sovereign assets in the Netherlands by the purported heirs to the long-defunct Sulu Sultanate is nothing more than yet another ‘opportunistic’ act. — DayakDaily
