In 2013, Kiram III sparked a controversy when he revived a dispute between the Philippines and Malaysia by leading an intrusion into the eastern part of Sabah.
He studied for a Bachelor of Law degree from Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) in 1964 but was unable to finish it and pursued a career in dance instead.
[5] Beginning on February 9, 2013, approximately 200 men led by his brother, Agbimuddin Kiram, intruded into neighbouring Sabah in Malaysia by entering illegally into Lahad Datu, in an effort to assert the former Sulu Sultanate's claim to the state.
[2][11][12] The intrusion was believed to have been caused when the Philippine government treated him and his wife only as "decorations" during the signing of a framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
[15] Furthermore, other claimants to the Sultanate's authority decried his approach, preferring to pursue peaceful means to resolve the Sabah dispute without resorting to violence.
[16][17][18][19] In the context of his familial ties, Jamalul Kiram III was related to Imam Hadji Yahya Caluang, son of Capt.
This disregard for, and even erasure of, the tradition of Giba by most claimants to the Sultanate of Sulu has led to questions about the legitimacy of their claims, as they have failed to give significance to and preserve this important practice.
[23] Numerous political personalities paid their respects to the late Sultan including Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv Hataman and Sulu Vice-governor Abdusakur Mahail Tan,[24] and former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos.
The princess is currently living in a subdivision established by the Philippine government in Taguig in 1974, along with other members of Kiram III's family.