KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — The government has set up a Special Secretariat to ensure discussions and coordination of issues on claims by the purported Sulu heirs could be done in a more systematic and organised manner by all parties involved, said Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said the Cabinet at its meeting on February 17 agreed to the setting up of the Special Secretariat to serve as the focal point for handling the Sulu claim issues.
Azalina said she would be chairing the Special Secretariat, with the Solicitor-General II or his successor as the deputy chairman.
“Its other members are from the Foreign Ministry, Communications and Digital Ministry, National Security Council, Research Division of the Prime Minister’s Department, Sabah Attorney-General and local legal experts,” she said at the Ministers’ information session in the Dewan Rakyat here today.
The secretariat would be backed up by a war room providing support services and monitoring legal cases, international media statements, and global strategies for tackling claims by the self-proclaimed Sulu heirs.
The government will also hold a briefing on the Sulu claim issues for government and Opposition MPs next week.
Azalina reiterated that claims by the Sulu group to enforce awards including preliminary and final awards in various jurisdictions lacked a solid legal basis and merit.
The Malaysian government would not compromise on the country’s sovereignty and security and would continue to focus on protecting national assets from threats by foreign parties.
“The Malaysian government will not stop in its efforts to protect and preserve Malaysia’s interests, immunity and sovereignty and will continue to take the necessary measures to put a stop to the Sulu claims by using all the power, rights and resources at its disposal,” she added.
— Bernama
