Rizal, North Borneo and the Sultan of Sulu (Part 1)

Many people, including myself, were surprised by the recent move of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to re-assert their claim on Sabah, located on the eastern side of Malaysia. This issue, called the "North Borneo dispute", is actually an on-going territorial dispute between Malaysia and the Philippines. More information about the issue can be found here. (use the citations inside Wikipedia if you want verification).

I am a Filipino, born in Marikina. However, I am neutral in this dispute. Normally, if I was (if ever) assigned to arbitrate between Malaysia and the Philippines and decide on the real owner of Sabah, I would ask the people of Sabah themselves. Only they have the power to decide on which sovereign nation should they adhere. However, in this case, the decision of the people of Sabah did side with Malaysia, as expected. Take note that North Borneo was leased (or ceded, in the unscrupulous British version) to the British North Borneo Company in 1878. As what one would expect, Sabah became culturally closer to Malaysia than towards the Sulu Sultanate. Another factor which I believe is influencing the decision of Sabah is the current state of economy of the Philippines. "Why join the Philippines when you're already part of the more-prosperous Malaysian Federation?" they probably thought. (The decision of the people of Sabah took place when the Philippines was a top economy of Asia, as Singapore and Hong Kong were still not independent countries.)

What makes me wonder is that Malaysia continues to pay "rent" to the Sulu Sultans. If it really owns Sabah, then why pay rent? Isn't it that the Sultanate of Sulu is already defunct?

What if the Rizalian Plan on North Borneo succeeded?

The famous Filipino hero and polymath Jose Rizal once tried to "colonize" North Borneo in 1892. The National Historical Institute of the Philippines gives this summary:

The colonization project of Rizal in Sabah was a response to the Calamba’s land crisis which all started when Governor- General Terrero released a directive for the investigation of the friar estates to resolve the agrarian problems on the collection of land taxes and tenancy. Rizal was requested by the tenants of Calamba to conduct an investigation on hacienda owned by the Dominicans in Calamba and he submitted it to the Governor-General for appropriate actions. He found out that the hacienda of the Dominican Order comprised not only the lands around Calamba, but the whole town of Calamba.


On his trip to Hong Kong, Rizal by chance met an Englishman Mr. W.B. Pryor and his wife, who were on their way to Sabah (North Borneo) to whom Rizal had shared his idea of a Filipino settlement in Sabah. The owner of the territory, the Sultan of [Sulu] had it leased to the North Borneo Company in 1878 and was duly recognized by Spain, Germany and England with the condition that Spanish sovereignty over the island of Jolo will be honored. What was in the mind of Rizal that he desired to establish Filipino community in Sabah? He said in his letter to Blumentritt on February 23, 1892: “if it is impossible for me to give my country liberty. I should like to give it at least to these noble countrymen of mine in other lands”. (Palafox)

See? Rizal had planed to set up a Filipino community in Sabah, in order to escape the persecutions of the not-so-ethical Dominican order and of the Spanish government. Palafox, of NHI, continues:

The North Borneo Company offered permanent settlement for the emigrants and the sale or lease of lands for 999 years. None of the settlers would render free labor or be forced to serve in the military except [when] the territory’s sovereignty is in threat. They would rule themselves with their own laws under the safeguard of the Company. In March, Rizal received a favorable sign when Mr. Pryor saw that Sabah needed manpower, and so he invited Rizal to come over to Sandakan. The company offered to undertake construction of buildings and planting of orchards, all payable in three years. Rizal in the absence of the governor of the island entered negotiations with the acting Secretary of the Government, Mister Cook, who also had to specify in writing the conditions of the settlement. He was received by the Governor on April 6, 1892, and on the following day he left for Hong Kong on board the Memnon.

What could have happened if the Spanish allowed this project to continue? Will Sabah be both a state under the auspices of the Malay Federation and the Philippines?


(TO BE CONTINUED...)