Anwar says claims that Malaysia gave 5,200-hectare land to Indonesia are ‘a lie’

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in Parliament on Wednesday (February 4) that the claims of Malaysia agreeing to hand more than 5,200 hectares of land to Indonesia are “a lie.”

The land was allegedly given as compensation for three villages near the Sabah-Kalimantan border.

Mr Anwar made his clarification after officials in Indonesia said that the villages, which are located in Nunukan regency, North Kalimantan, are now part of Malaysian territory. In return, Jakarta would receive 5,207 hectares of land for developing a free-trade zone and new border posts, the officials told the press in Indonesia.

The Prime Minister told Parliament in a special briefing that “The determination of the Malaysia–Indonesia border is not based on compensation … as claimed by some parties. The border is set according to conventions and agreements that have been formally established.”

Therefore, he characterised the claims that Malaysia had ceded the land to Indonesia as “untrue and amount to misinformation,” even with claims that had not been made maliciously.

Mr Anwar refreshed the memory of Members of Parliament concerning the legal framework that delineates the borders of Malaysia with Indonesia, including historical agreements concerning Sabah and Sarawak. He especially highlighted a boundary agreement dating back to 1915.

The dispute at present concerns a boundary problem that is still outstanding, he added. It involves areas near rivers that are currently under negotiation, and may not, therefore, be considered to belong to either Malaysia or Indonesia.

“The border determination has not been finalised,” he added.

Technical committees made up of members from both countries have been handling the matter since 1977, with a joint demarcation process going on in stages.

Among others, there are four “outstanding boundary problem” (OBP) zones in Sarawak-West Kalimantan and five sites in the Sabah-North Kalimantan sector that are still unresolved.

The Prime Minister also told Parliament that “Every inch of land is negotiated,” adding an appeal for MPs not to politicise the issue. /TISG

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