KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (pic) has urged all parties to refer to the contested maritime area off Sabah as the Sulawesi Sea, not Ambalat – a term, he says, Indonesia uses to reinforce its territorial claims.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Aug 5), Mohamad said the disputed area includes Blocks ND6 and ND7, which Malaysia maintains are within its sovereign waters.
“I wish to draw the attention of this august House to the reference to Ambalat by Indonesia. Their claim covers part of the Sulawesi Sea, including Blocks ND6 and ND7.
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“Malaysia’s position is that these blocks fall within our sovereign area, based on international law and the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling.
“Therefore, the accurate reference in line with Malaysia’s stance is ‘Laut Sulawesi’ (Sulawesi Sea), not Ambalat.
“The term Ambalat is Indonesia’s nomenclature to strengthen its claim. We should not use it,” he added.
Mohamad was responding to a question about the possibility of jointly developing the area, which lies within the 1979 New Map of Malaysia, with Indonesia.
He reiterated that the ICJ’s ruling on Sipadan and Ligitan had affirmed Malaysia’s maritime rights projected from the two islands, which include Blocks ND6 and ND7 – the very blocks Indonesia now disputes.
Under international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, maritime boundaries are determined based on the low-water line along the coast, not the high-tide mark, Mohamad said.
He pointed out that while Malaysia adheres to this principle, Indonesia has claimed otherwise.
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He assured the House that Malaysia is handling the matter through peaceful means, maintaining a strong bilateral relationship with Indonesia.
“Maritime boundary negotiations are ongoing under the Technical Meeting on Maritime Boundaries Delimitation between Malaysia and Indonesia, which has been in place since 2005.
“We enjoy good relations with Indonesia; 98% of it is positive. We shouldn’t allow the remaining 2% to lead to conflict.
“Let us negotiate that 2% calmly. Surely we don’t want to go to war over it,” he added.
Mohamad stressed that finalising the maritime boundary remains a government priority and outlined several strategic steps.
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They include concluding maritime delimitation with Indonesia through diplomatic, legal, and technical mechanisms; ensuring Sabah’s involvement in any decision that affects or borders the state; and safeguarding Malaysia’s strategic and security interests, particularly in natural resources, territorial waters, and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
On Sabah’s role, Mohamad said the state government is fully involved in all technical discussions and negotiations.
“The Federal Government works closely with Sabah. Their representatives are included in meetings and technical negotiations on maritime boundaries with Indonesia,” he said.
He also welcomed suggestions for officials from Wisma Putra or the Malaysian Maritime Department to brief MPs, senators and Sabah assemblymen to prevent confusion or political manipulation.
“There’s no issue with conducting briefings. We can schedule them to ensure everyone understands the matter clearly.
“We don’t want this to become a thorn in our side or political fodder, especially with the upcoming Sabah election.
“Let us not allow it to mislead the rakyat, especially our people in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
