KUALA LUMPUR — In a major legal blow to the so‑called Sulu claimants, the Paris Court of Appeal has voided Gonzalo Stampa’s 2022 ‘Final Award’ and ordered them to pay Malaysia €200,000 (RM197,140) in costs.
In a statement today, the Sulu Special Secretariat War Room, representing the Malaysian government, confirmed that the ruling was delivered on Dec 9, with the official judgment received overnight.
The court found that Stampa had no jurisdiction to issue the ‘Final Award’, ruling that no valid arbitration agreement existed that could bind Malaysia.
“As a result, the Court annulled the purported ‘Final Award’ in its entirety. Malaysia trusts that this victory will put an end to all the baseless attempts from the so‑called Sulu claimants (and their litigation funder, Therium) to extort money and assets from the people of Malaysia,” the statement said.
The government reiterated its commitment to vigorously defend against any further legal manoeuvres by the claimants.
This latest decision follows the Paris Court of Appeal’s earlier refusal, on June 6, 2023, to recognise or enforce the purported ‘Partial Award’. The French Supreme Court upheld that decision on Nov 6, 2024.
The statement added that Malaysia remains steadfast in protecting its sovereignty, immunity and national interests from what it described as unfounded claims.
The dispute traces back to eight Filipino individuals claiming descent from the defunct Sulu Sultanate, who initiated arbitration proceedings in Spain seeking billions in compensation from Malaysia over Sabah.
Stampa was appointed arbitrator by a Madrid court in 2019, an appointment later struck down by a Spanish court. Even so, he issued a US$14.9 billion ‘Final Award’ on Feb 28, 2022 — a move Malaysia argues was the product of an unlawful arbitration. – December 10, 2025