22-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
PM: No compromise on sovereignty in border negotiations
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says Malaysia will not compromise on defending its sovereignty in maritime boundary negotiations, including ongoing discussions with Indonesia.
Anwar said that border matters, whether land, sea, or air, directly impact national sovereignty.
"It is true that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision in 2002 awarded Sipadan and Ligitan to Malaysia," he said during the Prime Minister's Question Time in Dewan Rakyat today.
Anwar said before the ICJ's ruling, he negotiated the matter with then-Indonesian president Suharto while in government.
"That (negotiation) helped clarify the borders, including ND6 (Block Y) and ND7 (Block Z). We are bound by a treaty, and the process also involves the state."
He was responding to Beluran member of parliament Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee, who asked how the ICJ's decision on Sipadan and Ligitan may influence the determination of maritime boundaries in the Sulawesi Sea.
Anwar said what was important was that Malaysia must not repeat the errors made in the Pulau Batu Puteh case, where the former administration "surrendered too easily".
He said at the time, those on the "other side", in reference to the opposition, "remained silent" on the Pulau Batu Puteh case.
"Just as Beluran feels affected by the Sulawesi Sea issue, so do other Malaysians, especially Johoreans, who were impacted by the handover of Pulau Batu Puteh.
"Why the double standards?" he said.
Anwar was referring to the former Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad-led administration's decision to withdraw the claim over Pulau Batu Puteh.
Previously, critics of Dr Mahathir blamed him for losing Batu Puteh, which Singapore calls Pedra Blanca, by withdrawing the application for review.
A royal commission of inquiry formed to look into all matters related to Batu Puteh later found that Dr Mahathir had acted to influence his cabinet to drop the review application.
The RCI also recommended that a police report be lodged against the former prime minister for cheating.
