KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Law Society has welcomed the decision of the Paris Court of Appeal to annul the purported “Final Award” of USD14.9 billion that had been issued in favour of individuals claiming to be heirs of the defunct Sultanate of Sulu.
In a statement dated December 11, 2025, the Society said the ruling provides an important clarification of the legal position underpinning the claim. While the dispute had been framed within a commercial arbitration context, the Society noted that its implications directly touched on issues central to Sabah’s territorial integrity.
According to the Sabah Law Society, Sabah’s status within the Federation of Malaysia is firmly anchored in the Federal Constitution and the constitutional arrangements arising from the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). The Society stressed that this status cannot be altered, challenged, or subjected to extraterritorial arbitral processes that lack a lawful foundation.
The Society highlighted the Paris Court’s finding that the arbitrator lacked jurisdiction due to the absence of any valid arbitration agreement. This finding, it said, reinforces a fundamental rule-of-law safeguard that disputes involving sovereign rights and constitutional arrangements cannot be privatised, outsourced, or adjudicated through unauthorised mechanisms.
The Sabah Law Society also noted the work undertaken by Malaysian legal teams in the French proceedings, which involved matters relating to Sabah’s constitutional and territorial position.
Reiterating its stance, the Society said issues involving Sabah’s constitutional rights must continue to be addressed with clarity and respect for the rule of law.
“As an independent statutory body, the Sabah Law Society remains committed to upholding the rule of law, safeguarding matters affecting Sabah’s legal and constitutional position, and ensuring that issues touching on Sabah’s rights are approached with clarity, discipline, and a firm grounding in law,” said its president, Datuk Mohamed Nazim Maduarin.