BUTTERWORTH: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has refuted claims that Malaysia has handed over 5,207ha of land to Indonesia as compensation for three villages in the Nunukan area near the Sabah–Kalimantan border.
He said negotiations with Indonesia on boundary measurements were still ongoing.
Reports circulating online, he said, did not reflect the actual state of discussions between the two countries.
“Malaysia and Indonesia are negotiating in a constructive and harmonious manner.
“Misinformation must be corrected,” he said in his speech at the Karnival Kebudayaan Madani dan Kenduri Rakyat Pulau Pinang 2026 in Permatang Pasir yesterday.
Indonesian media had reported that Kampung Kabulangalor, Kampung Lepaga and Kampung Tetagas in Nunukan were now under Malaysian administrative control following adjustments to the international boundary.
On Friday, Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said negotiations regarding the marking and measurement of Outstanding Boundary Problem (OBP) areas were carried out harmoniously between the two countries, in accordance with international law and existing boundary agreements, without being based on principles of reciprocity, compensation, or “profit and loss”.
He said the finalisation of the land boundary measurements was sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Indonesia on Feb 18, 2025, following more than 45 years of comprehensive and transparent technical negotiations.
On a separate matter, Anwar said peace and stability are the basic conditions for Malaysians to live well and prosper together.
The Prime Minister said the government was focused on reforms aimed at improving people’s welfare and quality of life.
“What we need first is a peaceful country,” he said.
He added that the government recognised the role of the Armed Forces, police and border agencies in safeguarding national security and stability.
He said recent actions against senior Armed Forces officers implicated in graft should not create the impression that the entire security services were corrupt.
He said Malaysia is still one of the safest countries in the region, even compared to other Asean nations.
The government, he said, had to be firm in dealing with corruption.
