Participating in the debate were Senator Paul Igai, Senator Alan Ling Sie Kiong, Senator Raj Munni Sabu and Senator Liew Chin Tong.

In a written notification Lasimbang had requested that the day’s proceedings be adjourned to debate on the Philippines’ territorial claims over Sabah through a map stating that the state is part of Philippine territory.

“This is a provocative move that threatens and challenges the rule of law of Malaysia and Sabah which is part of the federation of Malaysia,” he said.

According to him, the motion is important as it concerns national sovereignty and is a violation of regional cooperation through Asean and in violation of treaties at the United Nations level.

Any action that questions Malaysia’s sovereignty is a security issue that should not be taken lightly, he said.

In debating the motion, Lasimbang said the claim on Sabah was not new and the matter was raised again on Aug 20 after the Philippine House of Representatives proposed to include a map of Sabah in the country’s passport.

“This matter has very big implications. Indeed, it is just a map but in terms of deed it is a betrayal and should not be compromised,” he said.

He also asked for a detailed study of Sabah’s history to ensure that the government has complete facts and documents to refute the demands made by the country.

He also recommended that the government channel a special allocation to Universiti Malaysia Sabah for the study to be conducted.

Apart from that, he also urged the government not to recognise the Philippines’ passport which displays the map of Sabah and to stop those using the document from entering the country.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kamarudin Jaffar, in reply to the motion, said Sabah’s place in Malaysia had been recognised by the United Nations. Therefore it is not relevant if any foreign parties including the Philippines make demands on Sabah.

“The claim on Sabah is baseless and irrelevant because based on past history, Sabah belongs to Malaysia. The people of Sabah had supported the proposal for Sabah to be in Malaysia and the Cobbold Commission had confirmed the aspirations of the people of Sabah to be part of Malaysia,” he said.