Sulawesi SEA treaty does not involve Ambalat block - Mohamad

"We have yet to discuss the area known as Ambalat or 200 nautical miles onwards or what is called the exclusive economic zone. Not negotiated and haven't been discussed," he said at a media conference here today following a statement by Tungku assemblyman Assafal Alian at the Sabah state assembly sitting on Aug 10 claiming that Malaysia had handed the Ambalat block to Indonesia.

Overlapping claims by Malaysia and Indonesia over the waters of Sulawesi Sea known as the Ambalat block, located between East Kalimantan, Indonesia and south east of Sabah, Malaysia have been an issue since the publishing of a map by Malaysia in 1979, showing the maritime border area within Malaysia's waters, something that Indonesia objected to.

Wisma Putra had issued a clarification on June 20 that the Sulawesi Sea Treaty, signed on June 8, 2023 in Putrajaya in conjunction with Indonesian president Joko Widodo's working visit to Malaysia, did not involve the maritime borders in the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf between both countries.

"In other words, the treaty does not involve areas referred to as Block ND6 and Block ND7 by Malaysia or Ambalat by Indonesia," Wisma Putra stated.

Mohamad stressed that the Federal Government was concerned and cautious about treaties involving maritime border issues, adding that every decision made was based on maritime law conventions or the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.

"(It also involves) experts from Malaysian and Indonesian governments and the Sabah state government. Not once did the issue of Ambalat come up," he said as he reiterated that the Unity Government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Sabah government were committed to defend the country's sovereignty and Sabah's waters.

"As a Sabah MP, I will never allow Sabah's sovereignty to be compromised... I will defend the state's waters and its sovereignty and this is my commitment," the Kimanis MP stated.

He said Assafal's statement on Ambalat confused the public and was slanderous and urged him to issue an apology.

"Refer to Wisma Putra and don't make statements that confuse the public till it's slanderous... don't simply add in non-existent things and cause public concern," he added.