Self-proclaimed Sultan A descendant of the of the Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram led a quixotic military effort to regain part of the island of Borneo for his family. In February 2013, Jamalul Kiram directed a younger brother to lead several hundred fighters in an armed incursion into Borneo to regain part of the island, now the Malaysian state of Sabah that his ancestors once ruled. More than 60 people died in the fighting, which caused the most serious security crisis in Malaysia in more than a decade and strained the country's relationship with the Philippines. For more than 400 years, the Sultanate of Sulu, which preceded both the Philippine republic and Malaysia by centuries, ruled over vast stretches of territory — including parts of Borneo — from opulent palaces in what is now the southern Philippines. Kiram sultanate, which emerged in the 1400s, was noted for its wide influence at the time and its feared Tausung warriors. The sultanate was recognized as a sovereign state through treaties with nations around the world. Although largely forgotten and dismissed as a vestige from a bygone era, successions to the sultanate historically have been marred by violence among factions within the family and in later years by multiple claimants to the title of sultan. Born in Maimbung, the Philippines Jamalul Kiram held a law degree from Manuel L. Quezon University in Manila and ran unsuccessfully for the Philippine Senate in 2007. He passed away in Manila.