CM says ‘no way’ to Philippine claim
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal says ‘no way’ to Phillipines’ insensitive and unwise claims over Sabah.
Shafie believed the Philippines community lacked awareness that the 1963 Cobbold Commission and United Nations (UN) presence had churned out the legal documents, agreements and resolutions to support the people’s majority voice that favoured Sabah in the formation of Malaysia.
“There is no legal foundation for Philippines to claim as such, ‘well, this is part and parcel of them, belong to them’. No way. This is our country, this is our state, this is our land,” asserted the Chief Minister after the UMS Logo and Motto on MAS wings Aircraft launch at Kota Kinabalu International Airport here yesterday.
“I know the elections might be coming, you never know, and this is part and parcel to garner the support coming from their own communities. But I don’t think it is wise for them to do that because as ASEAN, we are working together. As a close partner among countries, we must also be sensitive with certain issues, which is so dear to us Malaysians here.
“I remember then I was very young in 1963, my late mother brought me to Semporna and the Cobbold Commission was there. The late (former Foreign Minister) Tun (Muhammad) Ghazali Shafie came to Semporna, and we were there shouting ‘yes, we want to form Malaysia’,” he recalled.
Shafie was responding to queries made by Philippines Consultative Committee member and former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr who pushed for a draft federal Constitution that will restore the Philippines’ historical claim over Sabah.
On the development of logging in Sabah, the Chief Minister asserted that the rampant issue is a very serious one in the eyes of the state government.
“So I am looking at the legal aspect of it. I think soon, we have to take certain firm actions against those culprits. We will act as firm and best as possible so there is no leakage. This treasure is the riches of the Sabah people and state,” he said.
“Action such as this should have been done a long time ago and not ignored. We Malaysians are charged with the GST (Goods and Tax Services), we are burdened with theft of our logs, our wealth. Why has it not been combated and we have to stress on this and take hard action,” he emphasized.