Malaysian Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Explains Indonesia-Malaysia's Latest Sea Boundary Track

DOC/Activities in the Malacca Strait can be seen from Bukit Senyum, Batam City, Riau Islands (ANTARA/Naim)

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Foreign Ministry issued an explanation regarding the latest sea boundary traffic for the Republic of Indonesia and Malaysia which was signed on June 8, 2023 in the Initial Series, Putrajaya.

In a press statement in Kuala Lumpur reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 21, Malaysia claimed to have found wrong perceptions and suspicions regarding the sea boundary treaty between the two countries south of the Malacca Strait and the Sulawesi Sea, even though they had tried to be explained by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in front of parliament or the People's Council on Tuesday last week.

The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clarified a five-page document entitled Memorandum Note from the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Settlement of the Malaysian-Republic Indonesia Sea Boundary Issues which is circulating, not the documents prepared by the ministry or members of the Malaysian marine boundary negotiations team.

The ministry regrets the accusations by a number of parties based on the document, although it deviates from actual and up-to-date facts regarding the negotiation process of the Malacca Strait and Sulawesi Sea Tract.

Negotiations to determine the territorial sea boundaries in the southernmost region of the Malacca Strait and the territorial sea in the Sulawesi Sea have been going on for 18 years since 2005. A total of 39 meetings at the level of the Malaysia and Indonesia Maritime Boundary Determination Team have been held.

The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the 39th meeting was held on 11-13 October 2022. During that period, a meeting was also held at the Technical Working Group level.

The territorial sea boundary lines connecting Titik 8, 8A, 88 and 8C in the Malacca Strait Treaty, and the territorial sea boundaries connecting Titik M, B1, B, C and P in the Sulawesi Sea Agreement were completed in the 34th meeting by the Malaysia and Indonesia Maritime Boundary Determination Team on 17-18 November 2018.

The statement also explained that during the working visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Jakarta on January 8-9, 2023, an agreement was reached that the Malacca Strait Treaty and the Sulawesi Sea Treaty based on the territorial sea boundary line that had been completed at the 34th Meeting would be signed in the near future.

The same thing was discussed by Anwar Ibrahim and Joko Widodo again on May 9, 2023 at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara.

As a follow-up to the agreement, Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs circulated a Cabinet Memorandum (MJM) on May 27, 2023 to get a response from agencies in Malaysia's Maritime Border Determination Team.

Basically, according to this ministry, all relevant agencies agree with the recommendation that the Malacca Strait and Sulawesi Sea Contract be signed as partial solutions to maritime demarcation issues between Malaysia and Indonesia. This Cabinet Memorandum was also presented at the 5 June 2023 Cabinet Meeting which approved the recommendations that had been set.

Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes that the signing of the agreement will further increase the trust of the two countries in order to continue negotiations on restrictions on maritime demarcation that have not been completed, particularly the EEZ and continental takeoff.