KOTA KINABALU, Aug 3 — Sabah’s rights will be protected in ongoing negotiations with Indonesia over the disputed Ambalat maritime zone, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar dismissed claims that he had ignored the state’s sovereignty over the oil-rich region in the Sulawesi Sea and said any agreement must involve both the Sabah state government and the state legislative assembly.
“This is a border issue between two countries, and Indonesia is an ally. President Prabowo is my personal friend, a family friend. I want it to be a good relationship.
“We talked about Sulawesi, and I wanted Hajiji to hear for himself, and give his view. We will discuss perimeters, following maritime laws, following history. It must be approved by the state government and subsequently the state legislative assembly.
“We will negotiate it properly, without surrendering. This was all in the meeting, not just under-the-table talk,” he said here today.
Anwar said the matter was recently raised in Parliament, where it was suggested the dispute had already been settled — a claim he denied.
“We will protect every inch of Sabah. I will defend this principle. I chose to answer this now because we are defending Sabah on behalf of the federal government,” he said.
Located in the Sulawesi Sea off Sabah’s east coast near Tawau, the Ambalat Block has long been claimed by both Malaysia and Indonesia, primarily due to its oil and gas potential.
Tensions flared in the early 2000s when both countries issued overlapping exploration concessions — Indonesia to ENI and Unocal, and Malaysia, via Petronas, to Shell.
