Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said the claimants’ case had been dismissed by the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.

“The Supreme Court decision, which is final and authoritative, brings to an end the claimants’ attempts to enforce their illegitimate claims against Malaysia in the Netherlands,” she said in a Facebook post.

The claimants had sought to enforce a purported “final award” of US$14.9 billion in damages to the Sulu heirs granted by an arbitration court in Paris.

The claimants sought relief in the Netherlands after a French court granted a stay order on the award, pending a decision on Malaysia’s claim that the order infringed on its sovereignty over Sabah.

The case stems from a long-running dispute with Malaysia over annual payments to the Sulu heirs as compensation for the cession of Sabah to the North Borneo Company in 1878.

Malaysia stopped the payments after an armed incursion by Sulu claimants in 2013 to pursue a claim of sovereignty over Sabah.

The Sulu heirs, who Malaysia says are funded by London-based litigation funder Therium, sought relief from the Dutch courts after their case stalled in France.

In June, the Dutch Court of Appeal upheld Malaysia’s challenge and dismissed the claimants’ application to enforce the arbitration award.

Azalina said the Netherlands Supreme Court on Friday endorsed the decision of the appeals court.