PETRUS
PENAMPANG: A Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) leader has issued a stern reminder that Sabah remains a sovereign state within Malaysia, following recent remarks by a Philippine senator reviving claims over the state.
PGRS N.26 Moyog Vice Chairman Petrus C. Mojuntin said Sabah’s status is non-negotiable and warned against attempts to use the state as a “political commodity” to divert attention from domestic challenges in other countries.
“It is deeply concerning to see Sabah being drawn into external political narratives, particularly to distract from internal domestic and energy-related issues elsewhere,” he said in a statement today.
He described such actions as shallow political tactics that have no place in contemporary regional diplomacy, stressing that Sabah’s sovereignty is firmly grounded in historical and international recognition.
Petrus said the people of Sabah had made a definitive choice in 1963 to form Malaysia, a decision that remains the foundation of the state’s identity and legal standing.
“We are not ‘for sale’ and certainly not ‘for taking’,” he emphasised.
He also dismissed suggestions linking Sabah’s natural resources to resolving foreign energy crises, calling it an affront to the state’s autonomy.
“While global energy challenges are acknowledged, Sabah’s resources must not be viewed as a hypothetical solution to external problems,” he said.
Petrus further urged external parties to focus on addressing their own governance and domestic issues through legitimate means, instead of questioning Sabah’s territorial integrity.
Reaffirming his support for PGRS leadership, including Acting Youth Chief Azrul Ibrahim, he said the party would not be influenced by “stale polemics” that have long been rejected by history and international law.
He also called on the Federal Government to remain vigilant in safeguarding Sabah’s security and sovereignty, adding that the future of Sabah lies with its people within the framework of Malaysia.
