The government is ready to face the possibility of the Philippines' claim on Sabah to resurface or the country pursuing the matter through a diplomatic note.

rais yatim 03 Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said the government was ready with all the documents, including on the referendum conducted by the Cobbold Commission in April 1962 among the people of Sabah and Sarawak on whether they wanted to join Malaysia and also the international resolution enforced under the United Nations.

"So far, the claim (on Sabah) by the Philippines is only made by a small group that is political in nature, which Malaysia does not consider as official by the country.

"In bilateral relations, we cannot consider it as an official undertaking," he said.

"But if the Philippines government make it known through a diplomatic note, then we will have to act," he said when debating on the Supplementary Supply Bill (2007) 2008 in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Rais said the matter was also not discussed at several meetings he had with the Philippine president and foreign minister recently.

"Nevertheless, the ministry views seriously the views of all quarters that Malaysia should be prepared and be more cautious," he added.

Claims made by Bangsamoro

Earlier this week, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Sultanate of Sulu said that they would refer Malaysia to the International Court of Justice over the claim to Sabah.

MNLF founder and former chairperson Nur P Misuari was reported to have said that the Bangsamoro in Mindanao would try all legal avenues to settle the Sabah issue peacefully.

"We are not after war, so we will convince the Malaysian government for the sake of peace," he had said, adding that Malaysia should show proof that Sabah belonged to it.

Misuari's remarks were immediately rejected by Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, who termed it as a non-issue.

This call to drag Malaysia to the ICJ followed closely with a recent decision by the international court to grant sovereignty of rocky outcrop Pulau Batu Puteh near Johor to Singapore.