Sabah considering action against Warisan rep over Ambalat claims in assembly

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government might take action against Assaffal Alian over his statement in the state assembly that the Federal Government had allegedly surrendered the Ambalat Block in the Sulawesi Sea to Indonesia.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the government was considering this move against the Tungku assemblyman but did not specify if the action would be taken by the Sabah Legislative Assembly’s privileges and rights committee.

"The Ambalat issue is still being discussed, this has been stated by the Prime Minister," he said after an event here on Thursday (Aug 17).

"So, the accusation by the Tungku assemblyman has no basis.

"We will see if we need to take action (against Assaffal) if what he had stated was incorrect.

"We can’t mislead the people or the state, this is a sensitive matter," he added.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin had on Tuesday (Aug 15) said the remarks by Assaffal Alian that the federal government had handed over the Ambalat Block in the Sulawesi Sea to Indonesia was slanderous and a misleading statement.

Mohamad said the statement by Assafal during the Sabah state assembly sitting last week was irresponsible and was a threat to the nation's sovereignty.

The issue, he said, had been explained repeatedly previously when Malaysia and Indonesia signed an agreement on the demarcation of sea involving both countries.

He added the Sulawesi Sea agreement signed by both countries only involved the territorial sea.

"It does not involve the Ambalat area or go over 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone," he said in a press conference.

On Wednesday (Aug 16), non-governmental organisation Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) lodged a police report here against Assaffal for allegedly spreading the false statement.

In the report, they urged the authorities including the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Attorney General's Chambers to take legal actions against the Parti Warisan assemblyman under the Defamation Act 1957, the Communications and Multimedia Act, or any relevant laws.

Its chairman Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar said Assaffal had made a statement that was misleading during the Sabah state assembly on Aug 10, which had been circulated through a video recording.

He said that the police report would be forwarded to Sabah state assembly speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim Yahya.