KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia is getting closer to completely nullifying the "sham and abusive" final award to a group claiming they are the Sulu Sultanate's heirs.
Anwar said this following the Hague Court of Appeal's decision to dismiss a bid by eight people who claim to be descendants of the sultanate to enforce a US$15 billion arbitration award they won against the government of Malaysia.
Describing this as a landmark victory, Anwar said the decision would block any attempt by the claimants to enforce their illegitimate claims against the Malaysian government in the Netherlands.
"This verdict in The Hague Court of Appeal is another landmark victory for Malaysia following the Paris Court of Appeal's decision on June 6.
"The Malaysian government is confident we are now closer than ever to completely nullifying the sham and abusive final award amounting to approximately US$15 billion issued by Dr Gonzalo Stampa, thus consigning the claimants' flawed claims to history.
"Malaysia trusts that today's decision of The Hague Court of Appeal, combined with the recent decision of the Paris Court of Appeal, will put an end to the frivolous attempts of the claimants to enforce the purported final award in other jurisdictions," he said in a statement today.
He said the government would stop at nothing to protect the country's sovereignty, national security and national interest.
"The Sulu case demonstrates a grave violation of Malaysia's sovereign immunity, which matters to every citizen of Malaysia Madani."
Anwar pledged that the government would spare no effort and fight by any means necessary against such flagrant exploitation and abuse of the international arbitral system.
"We will take all necessary actions to recover the costs for the public resources that Malaysia has been forced to expend in dealing with these claims.
"The government is confident that justice will prevail for the people of Malaysia."
Reuters today reported that the Dutch Court of Appeal dismissed the bid by the so-called heirs of the Sulu Sultanate to enforce a US$15-billion arbitration award they had won against the government of Malaysia.
"The court dismisses the requests of the Filipino nationals" to demand to execute the arbitration award, the judgment said.