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.