‘Oil tycoon Riza Chalid’s case a separate and legal issue’
MALAYSIA remains committed to resolving the long-standing Ambalat dispute in the Sulawesi Sea with Indonesia and will not allow legal issues involving Indonesian oil tycoon Riza Chalid to derail ongoing negotiations, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin told Parliament.
He stressed that Riza, who is wanted in Indonesia over a corruption case involving fuel imports, will not receive any protection from Malaysian authorities and that the law will be allowed to take its course.
“The Prime Minister has made it clear that the issue involving Riza is a legal matter, and we will not provide any protection for him,” Mohamad said during Question Time yesterday.
“The issue purportedly impacting negotiations on the Sulawesi Sea does not arise.”
Riza, who is linked to a high-profile corruption case involving state-owned Pertamina, is believed to be in Malaysia, having entered the country on Feb 6, according to Indonesian immigration.
Mohamad was responding to a supplementary question by Wan Ahmad Fayshal Wan Kamal (PN-Machang), who asked whether the Riza case might affect bilateral talks on the Sulawesi Sea.
Earlier, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) had inquired about the status of negotiations over the Ambalat area, a long-disputed maritime zone rich in oil and gas resources.
In response, Mohamad said discussions between both countries had addressed multiple issues, including maritime matters and cross-border trade between Sabah and Indonesia.
He added that several Sabah state agencies were involved in the Malaysia-Indonesia annual consultative meeting, such as the Sabah Lands and Surveys Department, Sabah Attorney General’s Chambers and Sabah Marine Department, to ensure state interests are protected during negotiations.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto recently issued a joint statement pledging to explore a proposed joint development in the Sulawesi Sea, including the Ambalat block, in a peaceful and mutually beneficial manner.
A Wisma Putra statement later explained that the joint statement marks a preliminary effort by both governments to work towards the best solution.
The Ambalat block, spanning some 15,000sq km off the coast of Sabah, is believed to contain significant crude oil reserves.
In 2004, PETRONAS awarded a concession to Shell to explore the area, sparking protest from Indonesia, which had granted similar rights to Italian energy company Eni.
It was reported that in 2009, Indonesia protested Malaysia’s military presence in the area, and in the following year, Indonesian navy vessels purportedly came close to opening fire on a Malaysian navy patrol ship for ignoring orders to leave.
