80 per cent radars to monitor boats at Sabah's waters not functioning- Shafie

SHAH ALAM – Almost 80 per cent of the tracking radars installed to identify the movement of boats in and out of Sabah's east coast waters are not functioning, said former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.

He said the problem needs to be looked into as it involves state security, urging for a committee to be set up to look into the matter.

"If they see security forces and assets such as warships or helicopters stationed there, I'm sure they (criminals) will be scared because they see our defense system is very strong,” he said after conducting a friendly visit at Pasar Foh Sang, here on Saturday.

He further said he has also requested the establishment of a special team to address claims made by the heirs of the Sulu Sultanate.

“It’s not about recognising claims made by the Philippines, the issue was discussed in 1992 and we realised the Sulu Sultanate was not a sovereign body and a non-sovereign body cannot made demands from us as a sovereign nation,” he added.

On Tuesday, the Financial Times reported that two Petronas subsidiaries in Azerbaijan had been seized by bailiffs after a French arbitration court ruled in March that Malaysia had to pay the descendants of the sultan of Sulu at least RM62.59 billion.

The move to seize the petroleum company’s Luxembourg-registered subsidiaries, Petronas Azerbaijan (Shah Deniz) and Petronas South Caucasus, was part of legal efforts launched in 2017 by the heirs to receive compensation for land in Sabah they said their ancestor leased to a British trading company in 1878.

The claim was made during the proceedings at the Paris Arbitration Court in France.