A historian from Malaysia claimed that their country owns the province of Palawan, including the municipality of Balabac, and Cagayan, amid the renewed assertion of the Sultanate of Sulu’s claim over Sabah.
In an article published by the Jesselton Times, an independent online news agency in Malaysia that covers news on Sabah politics, economy, and more, historian and activist Remy Majangkim said that in this context, they are also reaffirming Sabah and Malaysia’s sovereignty over the islands of Palawan, Balabac, and Cagayan.
This was also his statement following the Philippines’ renewed assertion of its sovereignty over Sabah in a communication to the United Nations secretary general.
“We also wish to reaffirm the existence and legitimacy of Sabah and Malaysia’s sovereignty over the islands of Palawan, Balabac, and Cagayan, situated northeast of Sabah,” said Majangkim.
He explained that these islands have long been connected to the Sultanate of Brunei even before the arrival of European colonizers.
“These territories, historically intertwined with the Brunei Sultanate and shaped by European colonial rivalries, demand a nuanced understanding of their complex past—a history often overlooked in contemporary discourse,” he said.
According to Majangkim, in the 16th century, Spain colonized Palawan and incorporated it into its colonization of the Philippines.
However, he explained that despite this, the Sultanate of Brunei did not cease to claim ownership over the islands. In the 1800s, local leaders of Palawan, Balabac, and Cagayan reportedly sought assistance from the Sultan of Brunei for food supplies.
“The request for help signifies the acknowledgment of Brunei’s sovereignty and dominance against the islands by the local indigenous people,” Majangkim said.
He also pointed out that on August 11, 1865, Sultan Abdul Momin of Brunei leased Palawan, Balabac, and Cagayan to American consul Charles Lee Moses.
After this, the rights were transferred to an Austrian businessman, Gustav Overbeck, who later sold them to the North Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC), which was backed by Britain.
In the Madrid Protocol of 1885, Spain, Britain, and Germany recognized Spain’s control over the Philippines, including Palawan. However, Brunei reportedly clarified that Palawan, Balabac, and Cagayan were not part of Spanish territories but had been transferred to the NBCC.
“Palawan, Balabac, and Cagayan were explicitly ceded to the NBCC, not Spain,” Majangkim said.
“This critical detail underscores the islands’ legal detachment from the Spanish-administered Philippines,” he added.
The historian further stated that the NBCC administered the islands as part of North Borneo until the end of World War II. After the war, the British Crown incorporated these territories under its administration, which eventually led to the establishment of Malaysia in 1963.
“Postcolonial Malaysia inherited the NBCC’s legal rights, reinforced by British treaties and the 1963 decolonisation process,” Majangkim said.
Should the issue not be resolved through diplomacy, he said it could be brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“Should diplomatic efforts falter, referral to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would affirm Malaysia’s position, grounded in treaties spanning 1865–1963,” he said.
“The Palawan-Balabac-Cagayan dispute epitomises the legacy of European imperialism, Brunei’s decline, and the interplay of economic ambition and geopolitical strategy,” Majangkim further stated.
