PETALING JAYA: Khairy Jamaluddin suggests that the government present the details of the maritime boundary agreement signed with Indonesia discreetly to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on International Affairs if it cannot declassify the agreement to show that it does not involve the Ambalat block. He mentions that he did something similar during the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme by showing purchase contracts to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which concluded that everything was proper.
On Sunday, Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee urged the government to declassify the maritime delimitation treaty between Malaysia and Indonesia in the name of public interest. He believes that the declassification of the agreement, signed during Indonesia president Joko Widodo’s visit to Malaysia in June, could clear the air about the matter and put a stop to speculations, including claims that Malaysia has given up its interest in the Sulawesi Sea with the agreement.
Kiandee stresses that the Ambalat block, which covers 15,000 square feet and is located in the center of the disputed territories, still remains a topic of contention. It is said to have the world’s largest source of crude oil and has been defended by the Malaysian government for a long time. He emphasizes that the sovereignty of the country, especially in Sabah waters, cannot be compromised, as it involves Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf with Indonesia.
Kiandee reveals that maritime experts involved in the protection of Malaysian territorial rights have warned Putrajaya not to sign any new agreements with Indonesia to resolve the long-standing dispute.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
