ID :
64604
Mon, 06/08/2009 - 08:19
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https://oananews.org//node/64604
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News Focus: MALAYSIA CLAIMS AMBALAT FOR ITS OIL RESERVES
By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, June 7 (ANTARA) - When tension heightened between Indonesia and Malaysia over the Ambalat Block back in 2005, Kuala Lumpur offered a joint cultivation of the area and divide the proceeds.
For Indonesia, however, the Ambalat issue is a matter of sovereignty so that no meeting point has been achieved so far. Malaysia puts Ambalat more in the economic perspective, while Jakarta more on sovereignty.
Malaysian Defense Minister Sri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the dispute on Ambalat was not a border dispute but an economic one. It is believed to hold large oil reserves. Near the Ambalat border, the Aster field is believed to have the potential to produce 30 thousand to 40 thousand barrels of oil per day.
"This is the real problem. If it is only a matter of borderline, possibly it has been solved long ago. But there is economic potential so that we have to be serious and careful," Hamidi said as quoted by Indonesian legislator Effendi Choirie who met him in Putrajaya Saturday.
But for Indonesia, sovereignty is important. That's why Indonesian leaders are firm in maintaining the country's claim over the block area which covers about 15,235 sq km in the Sulawesi Sea.
"Talking about Ambalat means that we are talking about the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia. We have to support the efforts of the incumbent president," Prabowo Subianto, a vice presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential elections, said.
He said that there should be no difference of opinions among the people with regard to the country's sovereignty.
The same voice was also aired by the Indonesian military.
The Ambalat Block is part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), the Indonesian Military (TNI) said.
"Whoever enters the area (without permission) violates the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia," TNI Headquarters spokesman Commodore Sagom Tamboen said.
He said the TNI had never stated that the Ambalat Block was an area in a disputed status. "The Ambalat Block is part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia based on the international law of the seas," he said.
Therefore, the Indonesian military would continue to carry out safeguarding operations in the area, which Malaysia claims based on a 1979 maritime map.
In spite of increasing tensions in the border area, both sides are still able to take the situation under control. According to Chief Political and Security Minister Widodo Adi Sucipto, the security situation in the Ambalat Block remain under control.
"I think it is now under control," the minister said.
However, Widodo did not explain in detail the latest situation in Ambalat after several violations by Malaysian navy ships which often trespassed the Indonesian territorial waters in East Kalimantan in the past several days.
Legislators from the House Commission I for foreign affairs who flew to Malaysia on Monday for a meeting with their Malaysian counterparts, also have in mind that Ambalat belonged to Indonesia.
The House of Representatives (DPR) and the government share the view that the Ambalat Block belongs to Indonesia so that there must be no compromise with regard to Indonesia's ownership of the oil rich area in Sulawesi Sea, Deputy Chairman of House Commission I for foreign affairs Yusron Ihaza Mahendra said.
"The government also gives full support to the efforts made by House Commission I to have meetings with its Malaysian counterparts and other high officials in Malaysia," Yusron Ihza Mahendra said on Sunday.
"The president, on behalf of the government, expressed full support to the steps taken by the delegation of House Commission I to visit Malaysia to discuss the Ambalat issue," the legislator said.
The Commission I attended a joint meeting with the president and the ministers in charge of politics, legal and security affairs. In the meeting, the president reaffirmed the government's firm stance that there would be no compromise on matters relating to the country's sovereignty.
The president also hoped that Malaysia would stop its provocations which could fuel further tensions. Therefore, the Indonesian government called on Malaysia to respect the ongoing process of negotiations.
"At a time when negotiations are still underway, we hope that all parties can respect the ongoing talks," Political, Legal and Security Affairs Coordinating Minister Widodo AS said.
However, the rising tensions between the two sides were not expected to end up in wars.
"We will not go to war against Indonesia. After all, the uniforms of the Malaysian Army are produced by Sritex of Indonesia. How could we be at wars?," Malaysian Defense Minister Sri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
The Malaysian defense minister made the statement spontaneously at a meeting with House Commission I member Effendi Choirie.
Choirie, who met the Malaysian defense minister with his friends Ali Mochtar Ngabalin (a Commission I member) and Ade Daud Nasution (a former member of the House Commission), delivered two important messages to the Malaysian government.
He said that he and friends delivered a protest against the provocations of the Malaysian patrol boats in Indonesia's water territories in Ambalat Block. Besides, he also specifically asked the Malaysian defense minister to use his influence as a defense minister to help speed up the settlement process of the conflict in Ambalat.
"As the third most important person in Malaysia, we asked him to help foster friendship, so that all problems could be solved as soon as possible," Choirie said.
The defense minister even happened to make a joke saying that how could Malaysia go to war against Indonesia if its (military) uniforms were produced by Sritex, referring to Indonesia's textile firm which among others produces military uniforms.***5***
Jakarta, June 7 (ANTARA) - When tension heightened between Indonesia and Malaysia over the Ambalat Block back in 2005, Kuala Lumpur offered a joint cultivation of the area and divide the proceeds.
For Indonesia, however, the Ambalat issue is a matter of sovereignty so that no meeting point has been achieved so far. Malaysia puts Ambalat more in the economic perspective, while Jakarta more on sovereignty.
Malaysian Defense Minister Sri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the dispute on Ambalat was not a border dispute but an economic one. It is believed to hold large oil reserves. Near the Ambalat border, the Aster field is believed to have the potential to produce 30 thousand to 40 thousand barrels of oil per day.
"This is the real problem. If it is only a matter of borderline, possibly it has been solved long ago. But there is economic potential so that we have to be serious and careful," Hamidi said as quoted by Indonesian legislator Effendi Choirie who met him in Putrajaya Saturday.
But for Indonesia, sovereignty is important. That's why Indonesian leaders are firm in maintaining the country's claim over the block area which covers about 15,235 sq km in the Sulawesi Sea.
"Talking about Ambalat means that we are talking about the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia. We have to support the efforts of the incumbent president," Prabowo Subianto, a vice presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential elections, said.
He said that there should be no difference of opinions among the people with regard to the country's sovereignty.
The same voice was also aired by the Indonesian military.
The Ambalat Block is part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), the Indonesian Military (TNI) said.
"Whoever enters the area (without permission) violates the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia," TNI Headquarters spokesman Commodore Sagom Tamboen said.
He said the TNI had never stated that the Ambalat Block was an area in a disputed status. "The Ambalat Block is part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia based on the international law of the seas," he said.
Therefore, the Indonesian military would continue to carry out safeguarding operations in the area, which Malaysia claims based on a 1979 maritime map.
In spite of increasing tensions in the border area, both sides are still able to take the situation under control. According to Chief Political and Security Minister Widodo Adi Sucipto, the security situation in the Ambalat Block remain under control.
"I think it is now under control," the minister said.
However, Widodo did not explain in detail the latest situation in Ambalat after several violations by Malaysian navy ships which often trespassed the Indonesian territorial waters in East Kalimantan in the past several days.
Legislators from the House Commission I for foreign affairs who flew to Malaysia on Monday for a meeting with their Malaysian counterparts, also have in mind that Ambalat belonged to Indonesia.
The House of Representatives (DPR) and the government share the view that the Ambalat Block belongs to Indonesia so that there must be no compromise with regard to Indonesia's ownership of the oil rich area in Sulawesi Sea, Deputy Chairman of House Commission I for foreign affairs Yusron Ihaza Mahendra said.
"The government also gives full support to the efforts made by House Commission I to have meetings with its Malaysian counterparts and other high officials in Malaysia," Yusron Ihza Mahendra said on Sunday.
"The president, on behalf of the government, expressed full support to the steps taken by the delegation of House Commission I to visit Malaysia to discuss the Ambalat issue," the legislator said.
The Commission I attended a joint meeting with the president and the ministers in charge of politics, legal and security affairs. In the meeting, the president reaffirmed the government's firm stance that there would be no compromise on matters relating to the country's sovereignty.
The president also hoped that Malaysia would stop its provocations which could fuel further tensions. Therefore, the Indonesian government called on Malaysia to respect the ongoing process of negotiations.
"At a time when negotiations are still underway, we hope that all parties can respect the ongoing talks," Political, Legal and Security Affairs Coordinating Minister Widodo AS said.
However, the rising tensions between the two sides were not expected to end up in wars.
"We will not go to war against Indonesia. After all, the uniforms of the Malaysian Army are produced by Sritex of Indonesia. How could we be at wars?," Malaysian Defense Minister Sri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
The Malaysian defense minister made the statement spontaneously at a meeting with House Commission I member Effendi Choirie.
Choirie, who met the Malaysian defense minister with his friends Ali Mochtar Ngabalin (a Commission I member) and Ade Daud Nasution (a former member of the House Commission), delivered two important messages to the Malaysian government.
He said that he and friends delivered a protest against the provocations of the Malaysian patrol boats in Indonesia's water territories in Ambalat Block. Besides, he also specifically asked the Malaysian defense minister to use his influence as a defense minister to help speed up the settlement process of the conflict in Ambalat.
"As the third most important person in Malaysia, we asked him to help foster friendship, so that all problems could be solved as soon as possible," Choirie said.
The defense minister even happened to make a joke saying that how could Malaysia go to war against Indonesia if its (military) uniforms were produced by Sritex, referring to Indonesia's textile firm which among others produces military uniforms.***5***
