Malaysia opposes RP role in dispute with RI

Malaysia opposes RP role in dispute with RI

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia said on Thursday it will object to a move by the Philippines to intervene in its dispute with Indonesia over two islands being considered by the International Court of Justice.

"Malaysia will oppose the request," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja said on Tuesday Manila had "filed an application to intervene in the case concerning the dispute over the ownership of Sipadan and Ligitan islands between Malaysia and Indonesia."

The Philippines' interest in the case is that "there is a possibility" any decision by the tribunal would impact on Manila's claim to the Malaysian state of Sabah, he told reporters.

Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to allow the International Court of Justice decide who owns the Celebes Sea islands, Baja said.

The Malaysian foreign ministry said the case over sovereignty of Ligitan and Sipadan between the two neighbors had reached an advanced stage before the court in the Hague.

The two islands lie off the coast of Sabah on Borneo island across from the fishing village of Semporna.

Malaysia would make its representations to the court, the ministry said, adding the case did not concern the status of Sabah.

"The ICJ, in accordance with its own procedures and timetable, will decide whether or not to allow the Philippines to intervene in this case," the statement added.

Malaysia will likely cite its ownership of Sabah as the basis of its claim to the two islands, but the Philippines also lays claim to Sabah following the rule of a southern Philippine sultanate there in the 15th century.

The Sabah question has been an irritant in Kuala Lumpur-Manila ties ever since former Philippine president Diosdado Macapagal revived a claim to the state when it became independent and joined Malaysia in 1963.

The Philippines has never formally renounced its claim, although officials in Manila have said previously they would not allow it to be a thorn in bilateral relations.

Attempts by previous Philippine administrations to drop the Sabah claim have been shot down by the Senate, and Kuala Lumpur- Manila relations have been twice broken off because of the dispute.