The standoff between the heirs of the late Sultan of Sulu and the Malaysian government over the US$14.92 billion Therium-backed claim over unpaid yearly leases continues to make the headlines, with former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas saying last week that the award is “completely illegitimate”.

There is supposedly an immense amount of wrangling behind the scenes of the US$14.92 billion claim and ongoing dispute between the eight heirs of the late Sultan of Sulu and the Malaysian government, and the Therium-backed claim couldn’t have happened at a worse time for the country amid its unstable political situation.