KOTA KINABALU: Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) on Thursday (April 16) urged the Federal Government to provide a full and transparent explanation regarding the confirmation that 127.3 hectares of land on Sabah’s Pulau Sebatik now falls under Indonesian territory following a border adjustment agreement.
G57 chairman Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar (pic) referred to a statement on Wednesday by Indonesian Presidential Chief of Staff Muhammad Qodari, who said the demarcation was the result of peaceful diplomacy between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Zulkarnain said Malaysia had reportedly received 4.9 hectares in exchange, raising questions about the fairness of the negotiations.
“G57 was concerned about the difference in the land area exchanged between the two countries, the transparency of the negotiation process, and whether national interests had been safeguarded, he said.
He said G57 also sought information on the level of Sabah’s involvement in the discussions and on the implications for the sovereignty, security, and administration of Malaysian territory.
Pulau Sebatik, off the south-eastern Tawau district, shares its borders with Indonesia’s Kalimantan Utara province.
In February, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told Parliament that Malaysia had not ceded land to Indonesia and rejected claims of a territorial swap.
He said the adjustments were based on historical treaties and joint re-measurement, and stated that Malaysia had gained territory in Sabah.
Anwar said Malaysia did not lose land but gained territory through a treaty-based demarcation system, amid local concern in Sabah over an imbalance in the land areas.
