KUALA LUMPUR: A shouting match ensued in the Parliament today, after the Dewan Rakyat Speaker refused to allow a motion to discuss the claims of the Sulu Sultanate.
The motion was submitted by Kota Belud member of parliament Isnaraissah Munirah Majlis, who stood up before the second reading of the National Forestry (Amendment) Bill 2022, saying that it had been rejected by the Speaker for the third time.
"I have submitted this motion thrice before, but it was rejected. I'm quite puzzled… What should be done to enable this to be discussed.
"This is a question of the country's sovereignty. Is it because (the claims) are on Sabah and not other states, hence you don't care about it?
"Why was the stay of execution only submitted on July 12, when the final arbitration was awarded on Feb 28?"
She was referring to the arbitration ruling in favour of the Sulu Sultanate's heirs, dated Feb 28. This resulted in two of Petroliam Nasional Bhd's (Petronas) assets worth US$2 billion reportedly being seized.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun said the matter had been debated in the Dewan Rakyat and discussed at length during the last Parliament sitting.
He also denied that there was a conflict of interest, as his brother, Tan Sri Idrus Harun, was the Attorney-General.
"I do not talk to him about work. And if there is anything in here being discussed here that involves him, I will always exclude myself."
Isnaraissah, however, was adamant that the issue be discussed, stressing that it was a matter of the country's sovereignty.
The sitting was then presided over by Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, who said the issue had already been decided, and warned the Warisan MP to sit down.
He then told Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan to continue tabling the amendments, but Isnaraissah pressed on.
"Which is more important? Sabah or the forests?" she questioned.
Rashid then ordered for her to be ejected from the Parliament for two days, but she refused to budge, with several other MPs surrounding her, preventing the Sergeant-at-Arms (bentara) from escorting her out.
Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman (Warisan-Sepanggar) then shouted: "Take (the ruling) back! I hope Sabahans see this. You only want Sabah's oil."
Sepang MP Mohamed Hanipa Maidin then interjected and said the deputy speaker was a "disgrace to Parliament".
Rashid then told Isnaraissah that she could make an appeal to the speaker under Standing Order 43 for her motion to be debated. She, however, said that it was no use submitting the same motion over and over if the speaker would only reject it. "What are you waiting for, for Sabah to be seized? Give me a date when this will be debated and I will keep quiet" she said, while other MPs surrounding her continued to urge Rashid to take back the ruling to eject her.
He later retracted his order. Later at a press conference, Isnaraissah said she would be submitting her motion for the fourth time today.
"I submitted the same motion twice in March to debate about the final arbitration award in the Spanish court, but it was rejected. I want the government to be firm on this and fight this claim."
The Financial Times reported that two Petronas Luxembourg-registered subsidiaries, Petronas Azerbaijan (Shah Deniz) and Petronas South Caucasus, were seized on Monday after a March ruling by a French arbitration court that Malaysia has to pay the descendants at least RM62.59 billion.
The seizure of the holding companies, reportedly valued at about RM8.87 billion, was part of legal efforts by the purported heirs, who back in 2017 sought compensation for land in Sabah, which they claimed their ancestor had leased to a British trading company in 1878.
The arbitration was initiated by the heirs and successors-in-interest of Sultan Jamalul Kiram II against the Malaysian government through international arbitration proceedings in Madrid, Spain.
On July 12, the Paris Court of Appeal allowed the Malaysian government's application to stay the enforcement of the final award on claims by parties claiming to be heirs and successors-in-interest to Sultan Jamalul Kiram II.