KUALA LUMPUR (July 30): Malaysia and Indonesia only briefly discussed the Sulawesi Sea maritime dispute while focusing more on strengthening bilateral ties, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin.
Both governments agreed to resolve outstanding maritime boundary issues through existing mechanisms guided by international law, with the aim of safeguarding the sovereignty and interests of both nations, Mohamad told the Dewan Rakyat.
“The presence of the Sabah chief minister and Sarawak premier during this high-level meeting is standard practice whenever the prime minister attends such consultations,” he said, stressing that the federal government is committed to state governments’ involvement in international affairs.
The consultation, attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, was also joined by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Mohamad was responding to a supplementary question by Datuk Seri Panglima Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) on the matter of the states’ sovereignty and the issue of Sulawesi Sea, which involves oil and gas blocks ND6 and ND7 — referred to by Indonesia as 'Ambalat'.
The area, located near Sabah’s eastern maritime border, has been subject to overlapping territorial claims between Malaysia and Indonesia and is a long-standing issue that has sparked diplomatic tensions and naval standoffs since the early 2000s.
Other matters discussed during the consultation included the operations of community learning centres in Sabah for Indonesian children, and efforts to enhance modern cross-border trade between Sabah and Kalimantan as Indonesia makes progress with its new capital Nusantara.
Mohamad added that representatives from various Sabah state agencies were also involved in the Jakarta meetings, including the Sabah Department of Survey and Mapping, the State Attorney General’s Department, the Marine Department, and the State Secretary’s Office.
For more Parliament stories, click here.