Sabah or North Borneo and the island of Palawan were bestowed as gifts to the Sultan of Sulu by the Sultan of Brunei in 1658 in gratitude for the assistance of the Sultan of Sulu to avert a civil war in Borneo. Thus, since that time Sabah became a property of the Sultan of Sulu and the Sultanate of Sulu. Sabah’s problem is that Tenant (Malaysia) is not paying the right amount of rent to the Lessor (Sultan of Sulu).

In 1878, HM Sultan Jamalul Ahlam Kiram (Sultan of Sulu and Sabah) as the legitimate owner leased Sabah to a British company of Gustavus Baron de Overbeck and Alfred Dent for their use and their heirs or assigns but the Lease prohibits the transfer of Sabah to any nation, company or individual without the consent of His Majesty’s Government (“Government of the Sultan of Sulu”). The transfer of Sabah by Great Britain to Malaysia in 1963 constituted a breach of the provisions of the 1878 Lease as the Government of the Sultan of Sulu did not consent to the transfer to Malaysia. As a point in law, Sabah must and should be returned to the Lessor as owners (the Sultan of Sulu and the Sultanate of Sulu).

In 1906 and 1920, the United States formally reminded Great Britain that Sabah did not belong to Great Britain and was still part of the Sultanate of Sulu but Great Britain ignored and did not listen to the reminder of the USA and transferred Sabah to Malaysia in 1963. This transfer is prohibited under the Sabah Lease of 1878.

The continued occupation of Sabah by Malaysia is illegal and it must end. Malaysia pays the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu an annual rent of PhP77,442.36 or US$1,500 for Sabah a real estate property with land area of 73,711 square kilometers. This very small yearly rent is unjust and unfair and it is unacceptable and indefensible how Malaysia can stay in Sabah by paying so little amount of rent per year.

Sabah contributes US$100 billion GDP to the Malaysian economy annually and looking at fair commercial rental property transactions the Lessor can expect to receive rental payment of at least 10% to 12% or US$10 billion to US$12 billion per year from the Tenant. But the Lessor only received a measly US$1,500 so the Malaysian payment needs to be discussed and re-negotiated to the satisfaction of everybody concerned.

Due to the unfair and unjust treatment of Malaysia of the Sabah owners and the lack of economic developments in the Sultanate of Sulu many groups advocated secession and independence of Sulu and Sabah.

The Sultan of Sulu and Sultan of Sabah HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad A. Kiram I stated that if Malaysia wants to stay in Sabah lawfully, then Malaysia must pay the correct and proper amount of rent per year. If the rental payment is not acceptable, he proposes “Joint Administration” between the Sultan of Sulu and Sultan of Sabah and Malaysia and/or the Royal Sultans of Malaysia headed by the Sultan Agong (King of Malaysia), to administer Sabah, and all incomes are split co-equally, similar to the joint administration or “Condominium of France and Great Britain in Vanuatu” prior to Vanuatu’s independence.

Income to be derived from Sabah will be used to develop Sulu to uplift the welfare of the Sulu people such as roads, hospitals, medicines, education, peace and order, etc. The payment of correct rent by Malaysia to the Sultanate of Sulu and Sabah and/or the Joint Administration of Sabah will be the solution to the Sabah issue.

*NOTE: The two Cession Money/ Rental Money for years 2004 and 2003 shown hereto amounting to US$1,500 per year for rental of Sabah, a property with the size of 73,711 square kilometers were addressed and sent to H.M. Sultan Muhammad Fuad A. Kiram I. when he was Datu (Prince) Fuad A. Kiram. HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad A. Kiram I is one of the lawful heirs of the late Sultan of Sulu -- His Majesty Sultan Jamalul Kiram II (Sultan of Sulu and Sabah, 1893 to 1936), along with his sisters HRH Princess Patnuharda Kiram-Juaini and HRH Parmaisuli Kiram-Guerzon and others.

The Sultan of Sulu and The Sultan of Sabah prays for the good people of Sabah to recognize and know that Sabah belongs to The Sultan of Sulu and The Sultan of Sabah and the Sultanate of Sulu as lawful owners, and that Malaysia illegally occupied Sabah since 1963. He appeals to the good people of Sabah and the fair-minded leaders of the international community to end the Malaysian illegal occupation and return Sabah to its lawful owners, so that roads, hospitals, electricity plants, schools, drinking water supply system and other basic services can be realized in Sulu. Out of 18 towns of Sulu province alone, only the town of Jolo has cursory power and water and some roads, but all the 17 towns of Sulu lack these services and infrastructures depriving the people of their basic needs that have been existing for many many years that must be urgently resolved.

HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I representing the people of the Sultanate of Sulu being the lawful owners of Sabah comment that, in the event of successful Sabah recovery from Malaysia, the Royal Family and the Sultanate of Sulu will not drive anyone out of Sabah, be it may Malaysians, Tamils, Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, Tausugs, Australians, Europeans, Americans, or other nationalities, etc.

HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad I further states that any investor or any developer who put their investment capital in Sabah will not be dispossessed of their investment, and that the rule of law will be upheld, with no distinction of any kind, such as race, color, language, gender, religion, political or other opinion, social origin, property, birth or other status, etc.

HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I further envisions that one day the nations of the international community will finally intervene to force the departure of Malaysia in Sabah, as the illegal land grabbing and unlawful occupation of Sabah by Malaysia dispossessing the poor people of the Sultanate of Sulu of their Sabah land ownership, cannot be condoned and tolerated forever by good nations and peoples who believe in natural justice and in a fair and just society, as the acts of illegal occupation of Sabah by Malaysia are against the rule of law.