[clarification needed] He proclaimed himself as Sultan in 1999 and was subsequently crowned on 12 March 2001,[5] as his older brother Jamalul Kiram III moved to Manila after his coronation in 1986 for the latter's dialysis treatment.
Other unrecognised heirs and pretenders to the throne continue to claim the heritage of the now-politically defunct but traditionally and culturally alive sultanate.
In November 2012, Jamalul Kiram III was elected to take over Sabah, as leader being abdicated is regarded as Sultan of Sulu.
Ismael Kiram II allowed him as his co-coregent, as Jamalul lives in Taguig, Metro Manila, far away from Sulu.
[7] This neglect, or intentional attempt to diminish the Giba tradition, as seen with false claimants to the Sultanate of Sulu, has caused many to question the authenticity of his claim to the throne, as well as his disregard for these crucial cultural practices.