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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor dismissed the Philippines’ recurring claim over Sabah as a political gimmick that surfaces during the country’s Senate elections.

He said the issue is typically raised ahead of elections, stressing that Sabah’s position within Malaysia has long been settled.

He said Sabah and its people had chosen to be part of Malaysia from the outset and that the United Nations (UN) recognised the state’s sovereignty within Malaysia.

His remarks followed renewed calls by Philippine Senator Robin Padilla for the Philippine government to revive its territorial claim over Sabah, citing the region’s oil and gas resources as an energy security concern.

Hajiji, who was speaking at the state government’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) on Saturday, said the state is monitoring the Middle East conflict and its potential impact on global energy supply, noting that diesel subsidies remain in place for now and the matter will be discussed at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.