The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry has denied recent media reports claiming that 127.3ha of land on Pulau Sebatik was handed over to Indonesia.
Its minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the figure was inaccurate, as only 123ha of land that was previously within Malaysian territory is now legally within Indonesian territory as a result of border realignment talks.
"The realignment process is based on a joint technical review conducted in 1983 by Malaysia and Indonesia, which found discrepancies between the boundary alignment recorded on-ground and those set out in the 1891 Boundary Convention.
"The finalisation of this boundary alignment was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on February 18, 2025, under which Malaysia acquired an additional five hectares of territory previously belonging to Indonesia," he said in a statement on Friday (April 17).
Pulau Sebatik, located off Tawau on Sabah’s east coast, is shared between Malaysia and Indonesia’s North Kalimantan province.
Kurup added that Malaysia succeeded in obtaining a significant increase in territory of 780 hectares in Sungai Sinapad and Sungai Sesai, which was previously within Indonesian territory.
He also stressed that the finalisation of this agreement was not a loss for the country, but the result of over 45 years of diplomatic and technical negotiations.
"The ministry wishes to emphasise that this entire process was carried out based on mutual agreement between both countries and in accordance with international law.
"The media is advised to seek verification before publishing any reports related to national boundary issues in order to ensure accuracy and avoid sparking public confusion," the statement said.
