14. Another ‘sultan’ disputes armed group’s ancestral land claim

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/02/22/another-sultan-disputes-armed-groups-ancestral-land-claim/

Another ‘sultan’ disputes armed group’s ancestral land claim

Posted on February 22, 2013, Friday

LAHAD DATU: A 45-year-old controversial businessman who was at one time detained and charged for burning Sabah flag and raising the North Borneo sultanate flag with the lion symbol has disputed the Sulu armed group’s ancestral land claim in Sabah.
Datu Abdul Rajak Aliuddin, who has proclaimed himself as the sixth sultan of North Borneo, claimed his family was the rightful owner of the throne.
He said the Sulu armed group led by Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram, the brother of the Philippines based Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram, had no right to claim Sabah, which was previously known as North Borneo.
“My father Aliuddin Agas was recognised as the fifth Sultan of North Borneo.
“He was one of those who signed the framework for the Malaysia Agreement in 1962,” the self-styled sultan told reporters here, showing documents to back his claim.
Razak said the Azzimudie group had no right to use the yellow flag with the lion, which was allegedly raised in Kampung Tanduo after they occupied the village at Felda Sahabat 17 from Feb 9.
Azzimudie and more than 100 of his followers, including gunmen in military fatigues, had demanded that Malaysia recognise them as the so-called Royal Sulu sultanate army and that no subject of the sultan of Sulu be deported as Sabah was their ancestral home.
Historically, there were numerous claimants to the Sulu sultanate.
Over the years, claimants to the throne have produced many documents to the media to back their claims.
Last year in Kota Kinabalu, another businessman Datu Mohamad Akjan proclaimed himself as the rightful heir of the Sulu Sultanate and held a ceremony to declare himself as sultan.

Police questioned Akjan after photos of him as the sultan of Sulu became public.