KOTA KINABALU: Members of parliament from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) have expressed their full support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's firm stance in dealing with claims by the purported heirs of the defunct Sulu Sultanate over Sabah.
In a joint statement, the six GRS MPs affirmed their support for the federal government, which is committed to taking legal action against any party involved in the claims.
This includes possible criminal charges against Malaysian citizens who may be working in cohorts with the claimants as this undermines the country's interests and security.
The joint statement was issued by Keningau MP Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan; Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (Papar); Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi); Datuk Jonathan Yasin (Ranau); Datuk Matbali Musah (Sipitang); and, Lo Su Fui (Tawau).
The MPs called on the government to conduct further investigations into the actions of any party that facilitated the manipulation of mechanisms or international legal processes through the "forum shopping" approach.
"We also urge the government to investigate the actions of the former attorney-general, who, without cabinet approval, sent a letter to the claimant's lawyer dated Sept 19, 2019.
"This was revealed in the government's response in the Dewan Rakyat on March 28, 2023. Our call is in line with GRS's stance since the beginning, challenging the former attorney-general in handling the issues of unfounded claims," they said.
They were referring to the legal suit filed by nine GRS leaders against the former attorney-general in the Kota Kinabalu High Court on Aug 16, 2022.
The GRS MPs further emphasised the need for the federal government to enhance its governance to prevent any future unilateral actions by any party in regards to sensitive matters related to territorial integrity and sovereignty, particularly concerning the state of Sabah.
They urged the federal government to engage in discussions with the Sabah state government on these matters.