Malaysia on Saturday denounced repeated suggestions by an adviser to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that Sabah should be designated as the 13th state of the Philippines. The latter’s proposed new constitution asserts the country’s sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea and its historical claim to Sabah. This was confirmed Tuesday by Consultative Committee (ConCom) member and former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr., who was among the 22 experts appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to review and recommend changes to the 1987 Constitution, writes Eimor P. Santos for CNN Philippines. “This is the second time this year that Pimentel has made baseless remarks related to Sabah,” The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Sabah was recognized by the United Nations and the international community as part of Malaysia since the formation of the Federation on Sept 16, 1963.