Amde Sidik
If the concern and enthusiasm of safeguarding Sabah in the aftermath of Nurul Izzah Anwar and Chua Tian Chang’s visit to the Philippines, there might not have been any intrusion by the Sulu army that led to the Tanduo incident on February 11, 2013 in Lahad Datu.
As a Sabahan, I might as well thank Nurul Izzah and Chua, better known as Tian Chua, for creating an exploding awareness.
It was unfortunate for Nurul Izzah and Chua that their host was Jacel Kiram, the daughter of the self-proclaimed sultan of Sulu – someone Sabahans dislike to even hear her name mentioned – let alone to be the host to our honourable members of Parliament.
During the Tanduo standoff, it was Jacel who spoke on behalf of her father.
Malaysian leaders have not made any concrete effort to settle the claim once and for all. To us Sabahans, the claim has no legal basis that Sabah belongs to Sulu and our government should not keep this issue in abeyance for so long.
What do we know about Brunei’s stance in those days as well as now? The entire North Borneo was under its jurisdiction in 1661-1673.
As far as Brunei’s history is concerned, it was during the reign of Sultan Mahayuddin. The volatile period according to Brunei historians, was when the two royal brothers, Sultan Mahayuddin and Sultan Hakkul Mobin were at war which lasted 11 years.
It was at this time that Mahayuddin requested for help from Sultan Ali Shah of Sulu according to what was written by Thomas Stanford in 1817.
In return, Mahayuddin promised to give North Borneo to the sultan of Sulu. But the request was never fulfilled. Instead, Sulu’s army stationed at Palau Cherman watched the battle from afar because both at war were his cousins.
Mahayuddin won the war. Thus, the issue was not raised. Hakkul Mobin fled and lived in Kinarut, Papar District (now Sabah) for 10 years.
This was in the late 17th century (about 10km from Kota Kinabalu today). The Sultanate of Brunei gave an area from Sipitang up to Kimanis, to British North Borneo only in 1902.
Brunei’s historians and academicians were of the view that North Borneo (Sabah) had never been surrendered to any countries or government including Sulu.
Rozan Yunos who wrote in The Brunei Times for the sultan’s coronation on March 8, 2013 held the same view that Sultan of Brunei had never handed North Borneo to Sulu as claimed.
The period mentioned was around 1661-1673. I have researched high and low on this topic but have yet to find any official document in Brunei’s institutions or mentioned in any form about North Borneo handed to Sultanate of Sulu.
During the period, Sulu had three sultans, Sultan Ali Shah, Sultan Nurul Alam and Sultan Haqunu – this was because the heir Sultan Sahabuddin was still underage and by tradition the palace had to appoint three sultans until the rightful sultan reached the full age.
It is worth mentioning in conjunction with the latest development in the South China Sea that it is the Philippines’s view that China cannot claim the islands based on historical fact.
If that is so, this should also apply similarly to sultan of Sulu’s assertion and therefore the Philippines cannot claim Sabah based on the history; among the islands that China claims from Philippines are the Kalayaan group of islands. – December 4, 2015.
* Amde Sidik is deputy president of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).
Sumber - The Malaysian Insider
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