evidence: Sabah, located in the northern half of the island of Borneo has been at the centre of a diplomatic row between Malaysia and the Philippines – which claims much of its eastern half – since the early 1960s. Currently, Sabah remains under the sovereignty of Malaysia and the matter has laid dormant for many years. [...] The recent question of Sabah’s sovereignty comes in light of a proposed shift to a federal system of government by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. The shift which was largely to avoid Manila-centric politics requires the nation to be domestically separated into states with Manila serving as the "federal capital." In drawing up proposals for this new model, member of the consultative committee, Aquilino Pimentel, included Sabah as part of Philippine territory. Pimentel’s proposals included 12 states and he suggested that Sabah be added on as the nation’s 13th state.