PN calls for more details on Ambalat development plan with Indonesia
PETALING JAYA:
Perikatan Nasional (PN) has called for clarity on the country's plans to work with Indonesia to jointly develop the disputed Ambalat area off the east coast of Borneo, said to hold the world's largest crude oil reserves.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto announced plans last week to jointly develop the Ambalat block in the Sulawesi Sea while continuing legal and diplomatic discussions on maritime sovereignty in the 15,000 sq km area.
Advertisement
In a statement today, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin said the announcement appeared to contradict several previous comments from Anwar about the Ambalat block and Sulawesi Sea Treaty when they were raised in Parliament.
'Rushing into a joint development agreement with a foreign country which is claiming maritime sovereignty (over the area to be developed) could jeopardise Malaysia's national interests,' said Hamzah, who served as home minister under former prime ministers Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
SPONSORED CONTENT
'PN demands that the complete details of the joint development in Ambalat and the Sulawesi Sea Treaty documents be debated in Parliament. The rakyat have the right to be informed about it.'
The Sulawesi Sea Treaty, signed in Putrajaya on June 8, 2023 in conjunction with then Indonesian president Joko Widodo's working visit to Malaysia, came under scrutiny after it was claimed that Malaysia was relinquishing its rights to the oil-rich Ambalat block.
Advertisement
However, Wisma Putra said that the treaty did not involve the Ambalat block's maritime borders.
Malaysia and Indonesia have had overlapping claims over the waters of the Sulawesi Sea known as the Ambalat block – located between East Kalimantan, Indonesia, and southeast Sabah – since Malaysia published a map in 1979 showing the maritime border area within Malaysian waters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
43 minutes ago
- Daily Express
Rafizi backs plans to develop Ambalat with Indonesia
Published on: Thursday, July 03, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jul 03, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli said the Ambalat block contains significant oil and gas reserves, which is especially crucial considering Petronas's declining output. PETALING JAYA: Former economy minister Rafizi Ramli says he supports Malaysia's plans to work with Indonesia to develop the disputed Ambalat area off the east coast of Borneo, amid claims by Perikatan Nasional that such joint ventures could jeopardise the nation's sovereignty. In a statement on X, Rafizi highlighted the importance of such joint development plans to the country's coffers. He said the Ambalat block contains significant oil and gas reserves, which is especially crucial considering Petronas's declining output. The Pandan MP said similar exploration efforts between Malaysia and Thailand in areas over which they had overlapping maritime claims had paid off handsomely as these projects now produce nearly one-third of Peninsular Malaysia's gas supply. 'Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto have, in principle, agreed to explore joint development between Malaysia and Indonesia to unlock the oil potential in Ambalat. 'I agree and support this. In fact, this was one of the matters I brought up when I was in the Cabinet. 'The federal government must engage in simultaneous discussions with both the Indonesian government and the Sabah government to ensure the state's interests are protected and that a fair share of the profits goes to the people there. 'But if this becomes a political football and the joint development plan stalls, the country and the people, from Sabah to Perlis, will continue to lose billions of ringgit in revenue every year at a time when our oil revenues are already in decline.' Malaysia and Indonesia have had overlapping claims over the waters of the Sulawesi Sea known as the Ambalat block – located between East Kalimantan, Indonesia, and southeast Sabah – since Malaysia published a map in 1979 showing the maritime border area within Malaysian waters. Anwar and Prabowo announced plans last week to jointly develop the Ambalat block in the Sulawesi Sea while continuing legal and diplomatic discussions on maritime sovereignty over the 15,000 sq km area. Yesterday, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, who served as home minister under former prime ministers Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob, claimed that a joint development agreement with a foreign country claiming maritime sovereignty over the area to be developed could jeopardise Malaysia's national interests. Muhyiddin, meanwhile, said developing the Ambalat block without a clear ruling on maritime borders by the International Court of Justice or other recognised legal bodies could set a dangerous precedent and this might be used in future to undermine Malaysia's claims over this and other disputed areas. In his post on X, Rafizi said that while PN had the right to oppose such plans, such objections should only be raised after examining the full merits of the case. 'Don't just oppose (such plans) blindly,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
UN-Habitat president Nga calls for innovative approaches to green economy, low-carbon industrial parks
PETALING JAYA: In his capacity as the UN-Habitat Assembly president, Nga Kor Ming has called for innovative approaches to green economy and low-carbon industrial parks in a planned collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido). The Housing and Local Government Ministry said, in a statement Thursday (July 3), that Nga who is on a working visit to Vienna in conjunction with the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2025 had put forth the plan during a meeting with Unido director-general Gerd Müller at the Vienna International Centre on Wednesday (July 2). During the meeting, Nga proposed the development of integrated international guidelines between UN-Habitat and Unido for green industrial buildings. Under the proposed framework, UN-Habitat would advocate for the adoption and implementation of these standards among local authorities worldwide while Unido would act as the accrediting body for buildings that comply with the criteria. The ministry said that the proposal which aims to reduce carbon emissions from industrial buildings and promote the development of low-carbon industrial parks was positively received by Müller. It said that Nga noted that sustainable development must be rooted in job creation and inclusive economic development regardless of urban or rural areas. 'Unido has a critical role to play in this transformation, particularly through its focus areas such as the circular economy, green manufacturing and agro-industry. The time to act is now. We must create jobs and empower local councils as part of our pathway toward green inclusive cities and we need to ensure that progress is anchored in innovation and measurable outcomes,' he said. The ministry said that other key outcomes of the meeting was the mutual agreement to reactivate the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Unido and UN-Habitat in 2017 where both parties agreed to intensify collaboration on climate-resilient initiatives and the empowerment of local councils especially in rural areas. The ministry said Nga who was accompanied by Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif and the Ambassador of Malaysia to Austria and Slovakia Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim also visited the Lord Mayor of Vienna, Dr Michael Ludwig. The Malaysian delegation also toured Vienna City Hall and is scheduled to visit Seestadt Aspern, Vienna's flagship smart district on Thursday together with Singapore's Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat. The ministry said the tour is to explore how urbanisation can successfully integrate smart city technologies, modern architecture, green spaces, and recreational facilities while preserving Vienna's historical character and rich cultural heritage. 'Vienna's urban success story proves that with vision and strong governance, historical preservation and modern innovation can coexist. As president of the UN-Habitat Assembly, I look forward to sharing these insights with our 193 member states as well as bringing them home,' Nga said.
Malaysiakini
an hour ago
- Malaysiakini
'Ronggeng' dance not Malacca culture, state opposition chief tells CM
Malacca opposition chief Dr Yadzil Yaakub has hit out at the state government's plans to revive the art of 'tari ronggeng' or a cultural dance with shared Malaysian, Indonesian roots. Taking to Facebook, Yadzil (above) questioned Malacca Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh's reported remarks that the state intends to promote tari ronggeng as a new tourist attraction.
