Protesters attend a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines in 2013. Seven years ago, hundreds of militants landed in Sabah, leading to deadly clashes with Malaysian security personnel. AP Photo
Protesters attend a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines in 2013. Seven years ago, hundreds of militants landed in Sabah, leading to deadly clashes with Malaysian security personnel. AP Photo
Protesters attend a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines in 2013. Seven years ago, hundreds of militants landed in Sabah, leading to deadly clashes with Malaysian security personn
Border disputes in Asia still regularly make the news. The face-offs and clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the Himalayas since May have probably been the most high-profile, as they may have led to scores of deaths on both sides.
A war of words between China and the US over Beijing's claims in the South China Sea has also been escalating, as has the presence in the region of the two countries' navies. Analysts such as Michael Vatikiotis, author of Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia, now warn that an accidental collision "could easily result in an unstoppable conflict, given the political dynamics in both Beijing and Washington".
Most recently an ancient spat between the Philippines and Malaysia was revived by Teodoro Locsin Jr. The Philippine Foreign Secretary wrote on Twitter: “Sabah is not in Malaysia if you want to have anything to do with the Philippines." This reference to the Malaysian state on the north-east of the island of Borneo prompted his Malaysian counterpart, Hishammuddin Hussein, to respond: “This is an irresponsible statement that affects bilateral ties. Sabah is, and will always be, part of Malaysia.” Mr Locsin then said he would be summoning the Malaysian ambassador for a telling off and continued to make further provocative remarks.
Philippine President Rodrigo Rodrigo Duterte, left, chats with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr, right, who recently made controversial remarks about his country's rights over the Malaysian state of Sabah. Presidential Photo
Now, this may seem an arcane and somewhat baffling dispute. But its history is worth explaining briefly because some of the key points are also to be found in many other Asia territorial arguments.
Firstly, this goes back to colonial and even pre-colonial times when today’s states either did not exist or did so in very different forms. In the 19th century the sultanate of Sulu stretched from the western Philippines to a part of what is now the Malaysian state of Sabah. This latter territory was taken over by the British North Borneo Company in 1878, a transaction which the Philippines, as the successor state to the sultanate, deems a lease, whereas the Malaysian interpretation of the relevant document is that it was a cession.
Either way, the wording translated into English makes it clear that this was to be “in perpetuity”, and a UN mission found that a majority of the local inhabitants of what by then was a British colony were in favour of joining the new country of Malaysia when it was established in 1963. But the Philippines has never accepted this, initially breaking off diplomatic ties with its new neighbour and in 1967 planning an attempt – subsequently aborted – to destabilise and take over Sabah.
Ultra-nationalist Azerbaijani and Turkish people shouts slogans against Armenia in Istanbul last month. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan currently under the control of forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. EPA
Relations between the two countries recovered and have been warm for decades. As President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque put it last week: “This matter should not affect our ongoing bilateral ties. It has not affected it in recent years, and we will continue to have healthy bilateral relations with Malaysia despite the issue of Sabah.”
Mr Roque was attempting to pour oil on the waters troubled by Mr Locsin. At the same time, however, he still reasserted the claim unequivocally, and no one serious about power in the Philippines will ever give it up.
It would be easy to consider the issue either irrelevant or ridiculous, with at least five men claiming to rule a sultanate that no longer exists. But it remains a tool of easy populist rabble-rousing in the Philippines. In 2013, this led to a group of over 200 militants calling themselves the "Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo" landing in the district of Lahad Datu, Sabah, and to a confrontation in which nearly 60 of the invaders and 10 Malaysian security personnel were killed.
A Japanese P-3C plane is shown flying over the Senkaku Islands, the subject of a dispute between Japan and China. Jiji Press
For if Asia is to remain the growth engine of the world, it cannot waste any more time being divided against itself
Many other instances of contested lands or islands in Asia are similarly mired in histories that are themselves disputed, such as China's and Japan's claims to the Diaoyu / Senkaku islands, Japan and Russia over the Kuril islands, between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and as mentioned above, between China and India in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh. Although efforts to resolve them have been made in the past, they are now mostly intractable, since – as in the Philippines – the political cost to any leader who attempts to compromise or give any ground is just too high.
There is a way out, which India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hinted at in a speech he made in Ladakh last month. "Friends," he said, "the age of expansionism is over, this is the era of development."
Joint development in disputed areas is a way to park disputes and benefit both parties. This is what Malaysia and Thailand have long done in over 7,000 square kilometres of the Gulf of Thailand, where they exploit the seabed in partnership despite their overlapping claims – which they have not given up. This has been so successful that the dispute itself has become a non-story.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the Himalayan region of Ladakh on July 3, 2020. Reuters
Army officials escort Mr Modi after his arrival in Leh, the capital of Ladakh. EPA
Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks at a map during his visit to Ladakh, where 20 Indian army personnel, including a colonel, were killed in clashes with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. EPA
Narendra Modi and top Indian army officials listen to a briefing in Leh. EPA
Indian soldiers await the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ladakh, India. Reuters
Mr Modi was scheduled to visit Army, Air Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel during is visit. EPA
Both countries are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and their conduct is true to the association's unofficial motto of "agreeing to disagree without being disagreeable". But this is an approach relevant across the continent.
It may well be true that some of the disagreements have their origins in the actions of imperialists from far away who had insufficient knowledge of or care for the lands whose boundaries they were delineating. But it is not much use blaming Henry McMahon, who proposed the line of demarcation between Tibet and India at the Simla Convention in 1914, today. McMahon is long gone. The dispute remains, and it is for current leaders to deal with – and they must.
For if Asia is to remain the growth engine of the world, it cannot waste any more time being divided against itself. There are some arguments that can never be resolved. Recognising that and finding a way to move on could be the answer to quite a lot of problems.
Ladakh – Last bastion of Tibetan Buddhist culture
Sholto Byrnes is a commentator and consultant in Kuala Lumpur and a corresponding fellow of the Erasmus Forum
Best DocumentaryOf Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best FilmYomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
Key Points
Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Tips for job-seekers
Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
