KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — The Paris Court of Appeal's decision 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.
According to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman 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 today.
The Paris Court of Appeal fully annulled the “Final Award” issued by arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa on February 28, 2022, and ordered the Sulu claimants to pay costs of €200,000 (RM957,140) to Malaysia.
The War Room, 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 this morning.
The court found that Stampa lacked jurisdiction to issue the “Final Award” because there was no valid arbitration agreement binding Malaysia.
Earlier, it had rejected the recognition and enforcement of the “Partial Award” on June 6, 2023, and the French Court of Cassation upheld that decision on November 6 last year.
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 February 28, 2022, Stampa issued a 'Final Award' of US$14.9 billion (RM61.36 billion) in favour of the claimants through an invalid arbitration process, despite the Spanish court having already revoked his appointment.
