Malaysia PM Anwar defends maritime border agreements with Indonesia

Subsequently, Pagoh MP Muhyiddin Yassin asked Mr Anwar for his guarantee that Malaysia will not compromise in future negotiations with Indonesia over territories which Malaysia has a claim over. 

To this, the prime minister assured that Malaysia’s position is that the interests of its national sovereignty will not be sacrificed. 

“Our ultimate position is that we cannot sacrifice even an inch of our country’s land,” Mr Anwar told parliament. 

Earlier on Saturday, Muhyiddin – who is also Perikatan Nasional chairman – questioned whether the agreements signed with Indonesia would mean Malaysia was compromising on matters relating to national sovereignty and international borders.

Speaking during the coalition’s rally in Negeri Sembilan ahead of the state polls, Muhyiddin said he felt “uneasy” when he learnt of the agreement.

“When I was prime minister (of Malaysia), this was among the (bilateral) issues that we could not resolve. We discussed and discussed but could never reach a resolution. It involves sensitive matters relating to the borders of Johor and Sabah,” he added.

Muhyiddin said that during his tenure as Malaysia’s prime minister, he was then advised by maritime experts not to sign off on the agreement.

On Thursday, Indonesia and Malaysia signed bilateral instruments relating to border crossings, trade, cooperation in investment promotions, mutual recognition of halal certification for domestic products, as well as the two agreements related to the delimitation of territorial seas. 

The announcements were made during Mr Widodo’s two-day visit to Malaysia.

The territorial seas treaties involved the Sulawesi Sea and the southernmost part of the Straits of Melaka. Mr Widodo later expressed appreciation for the agreement, saying it had “taken 18 years to be solved”.

In a joint statement after their meeting, the leaders said the signing of the treaties will provide a strong foundation for future maritime boundary negotiations. They pledged to resolve other land boundary issues by June 2024.