KOTA KINABALU, Aug 4 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reiterated that he will not let his good personal relationship with Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong” Marcos Jr compromise Malaysia’s sovereign interests.

"My personal relationship with Philippine President Marcos Jr is such that he considers me a good friend.

"Therefore, we need to discuss matters amicably. But when it comes to national sovereignty and Sabah's position within Malaysia, we will not compromise in defending it,” Anwar who heads the PKR said at the Sabah International Convention here where he was officiating the state party convention.

Malaysia and the Philippines generally have an amicable relationship, barring Manila’s insistence on claiming resource-rich Sabah as its territory.

On July 4, Malaysia submitted a diplomatic note to UN Secretary-General António Guterres firmly rejecting the Philippines’ claim to Sabah after Manila sought to assert ownership once more.

The Sabah dispute has seen periodic flare-ups involving diplomatic notes, legal actions, and even armed incursions.

In 2023, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled in Malaysia’s favour, nullifing an earlier French court’s ruling that the Sulu heirs — who are now considered Philippine citizens — were owed US$15 billion for oil-and-gas extracted by Petronas.