No Official Report On Encroachment Of Ambalat Waters By RMN Vessels - M'sian Envoy

JAKARTA, June 22 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian embassy here has so far received no official report on the alleged encroachment of the Ambalat waters by Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) vessels, frequently of late. The ambassador, Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, said if this really occurred, usually the embassy would have been informed about it by the Indonesian authorities. "And we will resolve it diplomatically but so far, there has been no complaint on the allegation except for people talking about it," he told reporters after a breaking-of-fast reception as the ambassador's official residence, here, Saturday night. The 'buka puasa' (breaking of fast) and tarawih prayer session was attended by about 100 Malaysians here. Recently, an Indonesian newspaper claimed that a number of Malaysian warships had entered the Ambalat waters of late. Indonesian military (TNI) chief, Gen Moeldoko was quoted as saying that if it this truly happened, he would remind the Malaysian Armed Forces chief about it. Moeldoko said the armed forces of both countries had agreed to maintain peace in the area and not cause any conflict. Ambalat, a sea block of the Celebes Sea between the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and south-east of Sabah, Malaysia, has been the subject of territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia since the publication of a map by Malaysia in 1979. The map shows the area to be within Malaysian territorial waters and continental shelf, but Indonesia has objected to the map. -- BERNAMA