Malaysia must honour Manila Accord of 1963 or be forever damned

Signing of Manila Accord 1963, on 31st July 1963 in Manila
before the creation of the MALAYSIA Federation
Signatories were President Suharto of Indonesia, President Macapagal of the Philippines
and Tunku Abdul Rahman of  then Malaya Federation

The signing of the 1963 Manila Accord, registered with the United Nations as treaty number 8029, whereby then Malaya Federation Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman agreed that the Philippine Sabah claim would not be extinguished by the then to-be-created Malaysia Federation which was to be created later on or on 16th September 1963.  

Paragraph 12 of the 1963 Manila Accord which was approved and signned by the three signatories stipulates:


12. The Philippines made it clear that its position on the inclusion of North 
Borneo in the Federation of Malaysia is subject to the final outcome of the 
Philippine claim to North Borneo. The Ministers took note of the Philippine 
claim and the right of the Philippines to continue to pursue it in accordance 
with international law and the principle of the pacific settlement of disputes. 
They agreed that the inclusion of North Borneo in the Federation of Malaysia 
would not prejudice either the claim or any right thereunder. Moreover, 
in the context of their close association, the three countries agreed to exert 
their best endeavours to bring the claim to a just and expeditious solution by 
peaceful means, such as negotiation, conciliation, arbitration, or judicial 
settlement as well as other peaceful means of the parties' own choice, in 
conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and the Bandung Declara 
tion.

BUT Malaysia now refuses to honour Manila Accord and has changed its national doctrine: "Better to lose national honour than to lose Sabah."

In a way, we understand why they now renege on the agreement. Malaysia has never really understood the meaning of 'national honour' since they have never ever had to fight for it. The Brits, the Aussies, the Indians, the Chinese, the Gurkhas have always had to do the fighting to save Malaya's so-caled 'national honour'.

Be that it may, it behooves the Government of the Republic led by no less than the benighted President NoyNoy Aquino to whip up this agreement and pressure Malaysia to honour it. Aquino has got everything in hand to win the case and so we are surprised why he is hell bent on wanting to lose it. But what is stopping him from doing it? Big question mark indeed!

~~ AdB
For the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah and Spratly Claims
15 April 2013

Related blog post: United Nations Treaties No. 8029, Manila Accord of 1963

Link to original treaty: UN Treaty 8029 Manila Accord 1963

Recommended read: Malaysian writer's Sabah solution: Re-visit the Manila Accord