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Yong: Wisma Putra should urgently brief Sabah Assembly members on Ambalat issue

Yong pointing out the Ambalat area in a canvas map made in 2013

Kota Kinabalu, Wednesday, 16 August 2023

I welcome the invitation of Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, YB Mohamad Alamin, to anyone who has questions about the treaty on the Sulawesi Sea between Malaysia and Indonesia, to ask his Ministry for clarification.

The Deputy Minister revealed that our Prime Minister and the Indonesian President have signed a treaty concerning the Sulawesi Sea (to the South of Tawau) on 8 June this year when the Indonesian President visited Malaysia.

In response to Sabah Assemblyman for Tungku, who spoke on the issue at the last sitting of the Sabah Legislative Assembly, the Deputy Minister said that his Ministry (Wisma Putra) is willing to explain and that people should not speculate on the matter which has become a hot issue in social media.

In the same way that the Minister for Law (Datuk Azalina) has briefed Sabah Assembly members on the Sulu claim arbitration case, Wisma Putra should also urgently brief the Sabah assembly members on the Sulawesi Sea and Ambalat issue.

I hope the federal government understands why Sabah people are sceptical of federal announcements due to a previous issue, namely
the oil blocks L & M of two million acres of maritime territory that was lost to another neighbouring country in 2010.

At that time, Malaysian media reported that the resolution of the issue of L & M was in exchange for Brunei settling the “Limbang Question” (in Sarawak) but this assertion was later denied by Brunei.

Sabahans now want verification of facts and truth instead of simply accepting whatever official statements coming from the government.

Of relevance, is the maritime territory of Malaysia in the aftermath of Malaysia’s victory at the International Court of Justice (World Court) over the Pulau Ligitan/Sipadan case in 2002. Has the full force of the ICJ judgement been respected and honoured in this Sulawesi Sea Treaty between Malaysia and Indonesia?

Datuk Yong Teck Lee
Nominated ADUN