Impossible to sacrifice even an inch of our land, says Anwar

 

PARLIAMENT | Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has given his assurance that the government did not compromise on the nation’s sovereignty in the maritime border agreements signed with Indonesia recently.

Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat today, Anwar (above) said the government had taken into account the views of various stakeholders before signing the treaties, as opposed to claims that his administration did not seek experts’ opinions on the matter.

“Matters on compromising did not arise. (Indonesia President) Joko Widodo represents his people and Indonesia, I represent our people and Malaysia.

“My stance is that it’s impossible for us to sacrifice even an inch of land of our country,” he said during the Prime Minister Question Time.

He said this in response to Muhyiddin Yassin (PN-Pagoh) who asked if the government can assure that treaties signed would not compromise the country’s sovereignty.

Muhyiddin Yassin

Muhyiddin previously claimed that the prime minister signed the treaties during Joko Widodo's working visit to Malaysia despite maritime experts advising otherwise.

The treaties are deemed as a milestone by both countries in efforts to solve an 18-year-old maritime border issue in the southernmost part of the Malacca Straits and Sulu Sea.

The two treaties signed are the "Treaty relating to the delimitation of the territorial seas of the two countries in the southernmost part of the Malacca Straits" and the "Treaty between Malaysia and Indonesia relating to the delimitation of the territorial seas of the two countries in the Sulawesi Sea."

Earlier, Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) issued a barrage of questions to the prime minister on the matter, accusing the latter of “going against experts’ opinions” by signing the treaties.

Takiyuddin Hassan

In response, Anwar took a jibe at Takiyuddin, asking the PAS lawmaker about the “experts” he was referring to.

“What is your question, Kota Bharu? (You said) there are many views, maritime experts… Who? Which experts’ views were being discussed? And (you said) have been violated?

“Where are the maritime experts (that Takiyuddin said)? I have mentioned the names (such as ) the Foreign Ministry, Maritime Department, National Security Council, Attorney-General’s Department, Department of Surveying and Mapping and the National Hydrographic Centre.

“The minister and the Foreign Ministry were carrying out many of those tasks, but before I met Jokowi, I was still with them. So the experts can confirm this.

“These questions are used as a ‘cheap political space’. If there are new experts that Kota Bharu spoke about, tell me their names. What a frivolous claim,” he said.

Elaborating on the matter, Anwar said the government had informed Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar that the maritime border agreements signed involve areas that are three nautical miles away from the Johor border.

“These agreements do not include areas that are still being negotiated, including Pulau Sebatik in South Sulawesi, because we will be inviting representatives of Sabah to finalise them, and since there is no agreement yet, this small part has not yet been resolved.

“The agreements also do not involve the limits of Tanjung Pelepas Port, not at all.

“Negotiations to complete the territorial boundary lines in the Sulawesi Sea are still ongoing. I told Jokowi, Malays still insist that it is Malaysia’s, to which Jokowi said that his experts informed him that they belong to him (Indonesia). So we have postponed and will continue discussions.” - Mkini