KOTA KINABALU: Parliament should be allowed to discuss the self-proclaimed Sulu heirs’ claims on Sabah as it involves the sovereignty of Malaysia, says Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
The former foreign minister said the motion put forward by Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis to debate the matter in Parliament should be allowed.
“It is true that it is unwise to reveal Malaysia’s strategy in dealing with the issue,” he said, referring to a statement by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun in defending the rejection of the motion.
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“But how long are we supposed to keep silent on the matter? The people of Malaysia and especially Sabah want to know whether or not our sovereignty has been violated and that the government is doing everything it can to defend it.
“We are not asking the government to reveal anything confidential during the debate. I am sure every Member of Parliament knows that some matters are confidential and only privy to very senior members of the Cabinet,” said Anifah, who is Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) president.
He added that it was the MPs’ right to debate the issue in Parliament as they represented the voices of the people.
“I understand that the motion has been submitted again to the Speaker’s Office and I hope the Speaker will allow the issue to be debated.
“What use is there in practising democracy if basic questions about our sovereignty cannot be debated,” he said on Thursday (July 21).
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He said the seizure of PETRONAS subsidiaries in Azerbaijan by the Sulu heirs was a matter of national interest while their claims on Sabah were a security matter to Sabahans especially.
“The seizure was made based on a claim which we do not recognise. The fact that the assets can be seized is tantamount to foreign interference which does not respect our (refusal to recognise) the heirs’ claim.
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“What else can these heirs seize with the help of foreign nations? Can they seize land in Sabah too? When that happens, what will happen to Sabahans?” he said in pressing for a debate in Parliament.
“The people of Sabah are tired of hearing claims made by alleged heirs of a defunct Sultanate,” he added.