JAKARTA Memories of today, nine years ago, 18 June 2015, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized that there is no compromise regarding the waters of Ambalat. President Jokowi also asked his staff to act decisively to Malaysia, which is often looking for it.
Previously, Malaysia's desire to target Indonesia's potential keluatan at the Ambalat Border never subsided. The Ambalat claim belonging to the neighboring country has also surfaced. Malaysia is confident. Because they once won the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan in the waters of Ambalat.
Friends and opponents are two vague words in international life. This status can change depending on conditions. Take for example the relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia. At first, the relationship was warm in the era of President Suharto's administration.
Recently, Malaysia began to be interested in natural resources in the waters. Ambalat is predicted to have an oil reserves of up to 764 million barrels. While the natural gas reserves reached 1.4 trillion cubic feet.
The spirit of profit made the Malaysian government prepare their country to claim the Ambalat border as part of their territory from 1979. Indonesia does not accept it. The Ambalat border is indeed close to Malaysia. However, officially Indonesia owns the region for historical reasons.
The waters of Ambalat are the Bulungan Sultanate in East Kalimantan, which is part of Indonesia. This claim is corroborated by the United Nations Law Convention which has been ratified by the Republic of Indonesia and is listed in Law Number 17 of 1984.
Ambalat is recognized by the world as belonging to Indonesia. The decision of the International Court which recognized Malaysia's Sipadan and Ligitan Islands changed everything in 2002. Malaysia's Exclusive Economic Zone Point grew to a close level with the Ambalat Waters area.
Conflicts and confrontations were inevitable. Malaysia seemed to deliberately provoke Indonesia. This condition lasted until 2015. At the beginning of the year, Malaysia was found to have violated the Indonesian border.
We always evaluate. From January to now, there have been nine violations committed by Malaysia. We did not intercept the nine (intercept) because they were not at the location.
'Malaysia entered when they found out that our plane was not in Tarakan or Pontianak. Every plane we had was there, they didn't want to enter. When our plane from afar wanted to intercept, they (A Malaysian plane) had disappeared first," said Head of the Information Center at TNI Headquarters, Fuad Basya, quoted by the CNN Indonesia website, June 16, 2015.
The violation not only irritated the Indonesian military. President Jokowi was also furious. He considered Malaysia to have trampled on Indonesia's sovereignty. Moreover, this activity was carried out many times.
BACA JUGA:
Instead of allowing, President Jokowi gave instructions so that his staff would act decisively against Malaysia on June 18, 2015. The instruction was specifically to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi. Jokowi revealed that the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia is the most important, cannot be compromised.
" Sovereignty is maintained, number one, do not be compromised. So be firm with the Malaysian Government regarding the Ambalat border," Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto revealed Jokowi's wish as quoted on the detik.com page, 18 June 2015.
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