What will happen if the Philippines will someday reclaim Sabah from Malaysia?

Wong Hiong Foo

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Former Educator 5y

What will happen if the Philippines will someday reclaim Sabah from Malaysia and what will happen to the natives there if they'll hear this news?

This is one issue facing Sabah that just cannot go away permanently. From time to time, due to the political needs of the Philippines, this issue will be raised and after a certain time, go silent until the next politician raise the matter again and so it will continue to be like this. Whatever it is, the actual situation of Sabah at present is as follows:

1. Sabah is recognized to be part of Malaysia by the United Nations when it was formed in 1963. Whatever doubts of acceptance by the local people in Sabah was put to rest through the Cobbold Commission which went to gauge the feelings of the people and found that in general, the Sabahans supported the formation of Malaysia but requested certain terms and conditions to safeguard their interest, hence the Malaysian Agreement of 1963.
2. At the time of the formation of Malaysia, some who were against Malaysia came up with the idea of an independent nation consisting of Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei called the North Borneo Federation. So even the local people of that time were not thinking of Sabah as being part of the Philippines, what more to say the present day. If a referendum is to be carried out to gauge the feelings of the Sabahans today whether they want to be part of the Philippines, I am very sure an overwhelming majority will say no.
3. Finally, if this issue is brought to the International Court of Justice, the basis of ‘effective occupation’ would favor Malaysia like the case of Sipadan and Ligitan where Malaysia won the case.