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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-9/un-sabah-sm.webp" alt="United Nations on Sabah" />
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In a note verbale sent by its permanent mission to the New York-based global body that was presented to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on August 27, 2020, the Malaysian government said it had "never recognized the Republic of the Philippines' claim to the Malaysian State of Sabah, formerly known as North Borneo."


Kuala Lumpur was responding to what it called in the note Manila's assertion that the "Malaysian submission is projected from portions of North Borneo over which the Republic of the Philippines has never relinquished its sovereignty."



This submission refers to the "remaining portion of the continental shelf of Malaysia beyond 200 nautical miles, in the northern part of the South China Sea, from its baseline from which its territorial sea is measured constitutes legitimate undertakings in implementation of the obligations of [state-parties] to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982."

Adopted in 1982, UNCLOS introduced a detailed regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas and established rules covering their use and their resources.


To bolster its assertion, Malaysia cited an Oct. 23, 2001 decision of the International Court of Justice on a case where the Philippines asked the tribunal to intervene on the matter. In that case, judge Thomas Franck offered the opinion that Manila's historical claim to Sabah is not sustainable, especially after people in the disputed area exercised their right to self-determination in accordance with international law.


Malaysia also rejected what it called "the excessive maritime claims arising from the Kalayaan Island Group as asserted by the Republic of the Philippines, as they have not conformed to part 4 of UNCLOS 1982 and have no basis under international law," referring to the Spratlys islands, also the subject of territorial claims.


The note comes nearly a month after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the Duterte administration would not abandon the country's claim to Sabah.


He made the statement after Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammudin Hussein objected to his admonition of the United States Embassy in Manila for indicating in a tweet that Sabah is in Malaysia.

Malaysia asserted to UN, The Philippines has no right to Sabah