Malaysia says Philippine heirs of Sulu sultan withdraw claim on Paris buildings linked to arbitration dispute
- Malaysia’s law ministry said descendants of former sultan have dropped their bid to seize three diplomatic properties in the French capital
- The heirs won a US$14.9-billion arbitration award last year in a long-running dispute with Kuala Lumpur over a colonial-era land deal
An enforcement judge in Paris on November 9 “recorded the claimants’ withdrawal from the proceedings they had initiated to seize the … diplomatic buildings,” Malaysia’s law ministry said in a statement issued late on Thursday.
Representatives for the heirs were not immediately available for comment.
The Filipino heirs of the last sultan of Sulu won a US$14.9-billion award in a French arbitration court last year in a long-running dispute over a colonial-era land deal, prompting them to go after Malaysia-owned assets.
But in June, a Paris court upheld the Malaysian government’s challenge against enforcing a partial award.
In the statement, the law ministry said the enforcement judge also quashed an earlier order authorising that a statutory mortgage be registered on the three buildings.
