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.
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.
'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.
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.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that any deal involving disputed land or maritime areas should wait until the borders are clearly determined by the International Court of Justice or other recognised legal bodies.
The PN chairman said that proceeding without a clear ruling could set a dangerous precedent and might be used in the future to undermine Malaysia's claims over the same or other areas.
Muhyiddin added that such actions could harm the country's rights and dignity, as the risks involved are significant and could have long-term consequences for the nation.
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