DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING, WAVING PROTEST BANNERS, MARCHING WITH A GIANT 'DRAGON'; TUN MUSTAPHA THE CHIEF MINISTER ADDRESSING THE MEETING.




Initials RE/VS/JF/SS



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Background: ABOUT 5,000 PEOPLE ASSEMBLED ON SUNDAY IN KOTA KINABALU CAPITAL OF THE DISPUTED STATE OF SABAH TO PROTEST AGAINST PHILIPPINES LEGISLATION ASSERTING RIGHTS OVER THE STATE. THE TERRITORY, 29,000 SQUARE MILES IN AREA (77,000 SQ. KILOMETRES) FORMS PART OF THE MALAYSIAN FEDERATION. TUN MUSTAPHA, SABAH'S CHIEF MINISTER, ADDRESSED THE CROWD.

DURING THE RALLY, TUN MUSTAPHA, WHO IS HIMSELF OF FILIPINO ORIGIN, SAID THAT THE PHILIPPINES WOULD BE DEFEATED IN ANY ARMED ATTEMPT TO TAKE OVER THE STATE. HE WARNED THE CROWD OF POSSIBLE RAIDS BY BOATS FROM NEARBY SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN PEOPLE BEING KILLED AND ROBBED.

THE MEETING FORMED PART OF SEVERAL DAYS OF PROTESTS IN MALAYSIA, SINCE PRESIDENT MARCOS OF THE PHILIPPINES SIGNED A BILL DECLARING SABAH TO BE PART OF THE PHILIPPINES. YESTERDAY (MONDAY) THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN MUAR, SOUTH WEST MALAYSIA, DRAGGED THROUGH THE STREETS AN EFFIGY OF PRESIDENT MARCOS AND LATER BURNED IT. MALAYSIA HAS ALSO WITHDRAWN ITS DIPLOMATS FROM THE PHILIPPINES, AND ABROGATED A TREATY AGAINST SMUGGLERS WITH THAT COUNTRY.

THE DISPUTE IS BASED ON COMPLEX LEGAL ISSUES DATING BACK TO 1878, THE PHILIPPINES APPARENTLY TRYING TO TAKE THE ISSUE TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE, WHILE MALAYSIA WHICH ALREADY HAS ONE UNITED NATIONS ASCERTAINMENT OF LOCAL OPINION IN ITS FAVOUR, DOES NOT WISH THE LEGAL ISSUE TO BE RAISED AGAIN.