A SPECIAL task force will be set up to look into and take appropriate action against claims made by the descendants of the Sultan of Sulu, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said today.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) said the task force would include Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, Attorney-General Idrus Harun and several international arbitration experts.

Wan Junaidi said he would lead the task force.

“The government is of the view that this (seizure bid by the descendants of the Sulu sultanate) is a serious issue.

“We will take proactive and aggressive steps in defending our national assets and sovereignty,” Wan Junaidi said.

The de facto law minister added that his ministry and the Attorney-General’s Chambers were in the midst of drafting the terms of reference for the task force.

On Wednesday, Wan Junaidi said in a statement that the Paris Court of Appeal had allowed Malaysia’s application to stay the enforcement of the US$14.92 billion (RM62.5 billion) award to be paid to the descendants of the Sulu sultanate.

This was after the French Arbitration Court, in its final award, instructed Putrajaya to pay at least US$14.92 billion to the descendants, following a claim made by Spanish arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa.

Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported that bailiffs in Luxembourg had seized two Petronas subsidiaries in Azerbaijan as part of an ongoing dispute between purported heirs of the Sulu sultanate and the government of Malaysia.

According to the report, bailiffs took over the Luxembourg-registered offices of Petronas Azerbaijan (Shah Deniz) and Petronas South Caucasus, with an estimated net worth of nearly RM9 billion.

Petronas, however, said it had divested assets and fully repatriated proceeds from two Azerbaijan units seized over a dispute between the Sulu sultanate and Malaysia.

It confirmed that two of its subsidiaries in Azerbaijan had been served with a “saisie-arret” on July 11.

The state-owned oil company further said that it views the actions taken against it as baseless and claimed to be working vigorously to defend its legal position on the matter. – July 15, 2022.