Malaysia denounces call for Sabah to become Philippine state
KOTA KINABALU Malaysia on Saturday denounced repeated suggestions by an adviser to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that Sabah should be designated as the 13th state of the Philippines.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rubbished remarks by Mr Aquilino Pimentel Jr, a member of the Philippines Consultative Committee appointed by Mr Duterte, to review the 1987 Philippines Constitution as part of his push for a federal system.
Media reports quoted Mr Pimentel as saying in an interview last week that "there should be a way that is acceptable under international laws to assert our claim to Sabah".
He said: "I think we can defer it a little bit more but to say that we stop doing it is not in the context of my proposal,"
Under Mr Pimentel's proposal, Sabah could be the 13th federal state. "Once we have asserted our sovereignty and rights over Sabah, we should include Sabah," he said.
"Not only Sabah, but also (the South China Sea's) Scarborough, Benham Rise, and Spratlys."
The Malaysian ministry said on Saturday that such comments have the potential to damage the excellent bilateral relations between Malaysia and the Philippines.
"This is the second time this year that Pimentel Jr made baseless remarks related to Sabah," the ministry said in a statement.
"These statements can hinder efforts to further strengthen bilateral relations which are important not only for the two countries, but the region as a whole."
Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal said it was not "wise" for Mr Pimentel to use the issue as political material to win support from communities in the Philippines.
- THE STAR/ANN
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