PM Anwar clarifies border negotiations with Indonesia remain incomplete, denies claims of land handover
PETALING JAYA: The alignment of the Malaysia–Indonesia land boundary is determined strictly by established international conventions and treaties, not by compensation or land swaps, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Anwar dismissed claims that Malaysia had ceded land to Indonesia, calling them false and misleading.
The allegations suggested that Malaysia had surrendered 5,207 hectares to Indonesia as compensation for three villages in Nunukan, North Kalimantan – Kampung Kabunggalo, Kampung Lempaga, and Kampung Tertagas.
Anwar clarified that boundary determination between the two countries is governed by agreements inherited from the British and Dutch colonial administrations: the 1891 Boundary Convention, the 1915 Boundary Agreement, and the 1928 Boundary Convention covering a small sector in Sarawak.
“For Sabah and Sarawak, boundary alignment is based on internationally recognised conventions and agreements that remain legally binding,” he said during a special parliamentary briefing, today.
The current dispute involves Outstanding Boundary Problems (OBP) along Sungai Sinapat and Sungai Sesai.
Anwar said under the 1891 and 1915 agreements, the boundary is defined by the position of the river mouths in relation to latitude 4 degrees 20 minutes north.
Territory north of this line belongs to British North Borneo (now Sabah), while territory south falls under the former Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).
However, joint surveys conducted by Malaysia and Indonesia since 1977 found that Sungai Sinapat actually flows north of that latitude, contrary to earlier map interpretations.
“OBP areas cannot be regarded as belonging to either country until negotiations are concluded, as they are, by definition, unresolved boundary sectors,” Anwar said.
For Pulau Sebatik, joint surveys and marking carried out between 2019 confirmed the final boundary.
In the Sungai Sinapat–Sungai Sesai sector, similar surveys completed in 2023 finalised the boundary.
Anwar said the negotiation and measurement process spanned 47 years and was resolved gradually to preserve strong bilateral relations.
He also said that the Sabah state government was fully involved, including the Chief Minister’s Office, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Lands and Surveys Department, and other agencies.
Following the finalisation, the outcomes were tabled at the 45th Malaysia–Indonesia Joint Border Committee meeting on 18 Feb 2025 and recorded in a memorandum of understanding.
Under the agreement, Malaysia gained a small additional area at Pulau Sebatik and a larger area along Sungai Sinapat–Sungai Sesai.
The remaining disputed area continues to be under Indonesian administration.
Parts of the three Nunukan villages now fall within Malaysian territory following the final boundary alignment and are incorporated into Sabah.
“There is no element of compensation, exchange, or loss-and-gain calculation in boundary determination.
It is purely based on treaties and conventions,” Anwar said.
He cautioned that several sensitive boundary issues remain unresolved, including five land boundary sectors and intertidal areas in Sabah, as well as four OBP areas in Sarawak.
“As such, statements on border matters must be made carefully and responsibly.
This is not the time for narrow political gain at the expense of national interest or bilateral relations,” he said.
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Anwar also expressed appreciation to Malaysian civil servants, mapping experts, legal officers, and security forces who worked in challenging jungle terrain to finalise demarcation maps.
Concluding, Anwar said Malaysia’s relations with Indonesia have remained strong since 1974 and urged all parties to avoid rhetoric that could undermine diplomatic ties.
“We may differ in views, but we must not rush to judgment or offend our Indonesian counterparts who are working sincerely to strengthen relations between our two countries,” he said.