In late July, a quiet, private meeting took place in Manila. It was not a press conference or a glamorous summit. It was more of a meeting of a handful of people, lawyers, advisers, and experts who’ve worked on a case of one of Southeast Asia’s most complicated and contested historical inheritances: the Sabah dispute.

It’s a story that is near to some, far from others, and yet even more widely misunderstood by most.. At its heart are individuals who say they’re heirs of the once powerful Sultanate of Sulu. They assert historic claims over Sabah, a state that now belongs to Malaysia, and they’ve been trying to make their voices heard mostly in hushed courtrooms, out of the spotlight.

A Shift in Focus

For decades, the lion’s share of legal activity occurred in courts overseas. But lately, that trail seems to be winding down. And with that shift, something interesting is happening: attention is turning closer to home.

Paul Cohen and Elisabeth Mason, the lawyers who have been assisting the Sulu claimants, skipped a crucial hearing in Paris to find themselves in Manila instead. They were not alone, however. A couple of others with international law, consulting, and historical research expertise joined them.

Their quest? Not to end up on the front page, maybe to redefine how this tale would be reported, at least in the territory where it began.

Who’s Telling the Story?

Richard Jacobson, an ex-intelligence officer who spent many years in Southeast Asia, was among the guests. Reports claimed that he is on a personal level with Fuad Kiram, the person most known as the Sabah claimant.

Kiram is not a politician. He doesn’t have an office. What he does possess, however, is a firm belief that his family’s history and their historical connection to Sabah are still valid. He adopts a royal title, though not all see it that way. Even among his family 

members, there are conflicts. But that has not stopped him from trying to take back what he feels is lost to history.

The Sabah Story Revisited

It’s more than a century since the initial lease agreement tied Sabah to the Sultanate of Sulu. Wars were fought, borders set, and governments changed in the intervening time. Nevertheless, for a minority, this piece of history was never really closed.

What’s unfolding at this point is that this isn’t solely about courtrooms anymore. It’s about memory. Legacy. And perhaps a hope that, even when the battle in the courts is done, the story itself does not have to conclude.

A few believe the next chapter can unfold through education, online media, or small circle conversations with anyone who will hear it. Not to reignite conflict, but to be heard.

What Does It All Mean?

For most, Sabah is just a place on a map. For Fuad Kiram and the people who are supporting him, though, it’s a symbol of something more, a connection to a past that still shapes them today.

Whether or not courts rule in their favor, they’re searching for a way to keep the story going. And maybe, through small events such as that in Manila, they’re beginning to shift the spotlight away from legalities and towards something more human: the power of remembering where you came from, and the hope that someone, somewhere, will be interested enough to listen.