SPEAKER REJECTS BID TO DEBATE LONG-STANDING PHILIPPINES' SABAH CLAIM

Sabah Assembly: Speaker rejects bid to debate long-standing Philippines' Sabah claim

A bid by an opposition backbencher to table a motion to debate the claim on Sabah by the Philippines (http://epilipinas.com/SabahClaim.htm) was rejected here today. In tabling the motion during the State Legislative Assembly sitting, Likas assemblyman Datuk Liew Teck Chan said the issue needs to be resolved with help from the Federal government.

State assembly Speaker Datuk Juhar Mahiruddin rejected the motion but agreed on two points that it had the interest of the people and deemed important.

In his motion Liew said recently a man who claimed to be an heir of the Sulu Sultanate (http://www.royalsulu.com/) and 11 others were held in Lahad Datu for burning the state flag.

"This incited anger among the people of Sabah. On top of that there is also the issue of the large presence of illegal immigrants that has yet to be solved.”

Later, Liew said he was disappointed that his motion was rejected but added he will bring it up if he gets the opportunity in the next three days.

"I was prepared to deliberate on length why the matter should be resolved urgently especially when we have a fellow Sabahan holding the post as the Foreign Minister in the cabinet," he said referring to Datuk Anifah Aman.