KUALA LUMPUR: The decision by the Paris Court of Appeal to fully annul the ‘Final Award’ in the claim by individuals purporting to be heirs of the defunct Sulu Sultanate over Sabah has been described as a major victory for Malaysia.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, said the victory is not only a legal success, but also a triumph of dignity, sovereignty and rights for all Malaysians, especially the people of Sabah.
“On behalf of the Special Secretariat War Room on the Sulu case, I would like to express my highest appreciation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, my fellow Cabinet members of the MADANI government, the legal team of the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), Wisma Putra, the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU), the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM), and all government agencies that have worked hand in hand in carrying out this responsibility in the interest of the people and the nation.
“This proves the MADANI government’s commitment to defending the country based on principles and the rule of law,” she said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
The Paris Court of Appeal fully annulled the ‘Final Award’ issued by arbitrator, Gonzalo Stampa, on 28 February 2022, and ordered the Sulu claimants to pay costs amounting to €200,000 (USD232,734) to Malaysia.
The War Room of the Special Secretariat on the Sulu Case, acting on behalf of the Malaysian Government, confirmed that the Paris Court of Appeal decision was delivered on December 9, and that the government received the official judgment earlier on Wednesday.
The court found that Stampa had no jurisdiction to issue the ‘Final Award’ as there was no valid arbitration agreement binding Malaysia.
Earlier, the Paris Court of Appeal had rejected the recognition and enforcement of the ‘Partial Award’ on 6 June 2023, and the French Court of Cassation upheld that decision on 6 November 2024.
Previously, eight Philippine nationals claiming to be heirs of the now-defunct Sulu Sultanate initiated arbitration proceedings in Spain, seeking billions in compensation from Malaysia over Sabah.
In March 2019, a Madrid court appointed Stampa as arbitrator for the case.
On 28 February 2022, Stampa issued a ‘Final Award’ amounting to USD14.9 billion in favour of the claimants through an invalid arbitration process, as his appointment had already been revoked by the Spanish court. – BERNAMA
