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House commission urges govt not to negotiate Ambalat case

NU Online  ·  Jumat, 12 Juni 2009 | 04:42 WIB

Jakarta, NU Online
Indonesian House of Representatives` Commission I urged the government not to have negotiations with Malaysia over the Ambalat case.

"We must not negotiate with Malaysia because according to the UNCLOS, the Indonesian border is already clear and oil explorations and mining have also already been done there by Indonesia," Commission chairman Yusron Ihza Mahendra said at a press conference upon arrival at Jakarta`s Soekarno-Hatta airport from the meeting with the Malaysian parliament over the issue in Kuala Lumpur.<>

Yusron said what was needed now was Malaysia`s recognition of the border in Ambalat.

"We will not have any further negotiations. If we do it, we might be considered to have accepted the Malaysian claim over the area," he said.

He said the House Commission I had an agreement with regard to the issue with the Malaysian parliament, minister of defense, deputy minister of foreign affairs and armed forces commander.

"We will report it to the President and how Malaysia has responded to the problem," he said.

Yusron said the Malaysian armed forces` commander had also apologized. He said he would act against his soldiers if they were found committing a violation. "We do not want the friendly relations between Indonesia and Malaysia ruined, especially to wage a war. They are preventing it," he said.

Happy Bone Zulkarnaen who joined Yusron in the visit to Malaysia said that he had asked the Malaysian armed forces` commander about the purchase of two sophisticated warships from France and four fregates from Britain by Malaysia.

He said the Malaysian commander said that the purchases had nothing to do with the Ambalat case.

"It is also impossible for a submarine to be stationed in Ambalat because the waters there are too shallow," he said quoting the Malaysian commander.

Other commission members in the delegation were Joko Susilo from the National Mandate Party (PAN), Sidkhi Wahab from the Democratic Party and Andreas Parera from the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP). (ant/dar)