KUALA LUMPUR – Sabah state assemblyman Assaffal P. Alian has been urged to make a public apology after accusing the federal government of handing over the Ambalat block in the Sulawesi Sea to Indonesia.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin said that Assaffal’s remarks were false, untrue, and misleading and would pose a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
“The issue had been explained many times before when both Malaysia and Indonesia signed the Sulawesi Sea Treaty in June.
“(And) the Sulawesi Sea agreement does not involve the Ambalat area or go over 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya, today.
Clarifying the matter further, Mohamad said that representatives from the Sabah government were present during the negotiations regarding the country’s maritime borders during Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s visit in June.
“The Sabah government was also well-informed on the Sulawesi Sea Treaty,” he said, adding that Assaffal must now be held accountable for his statement.
Last week, Assaffal, who is the Tungku assemblyman, voiced strong criticism against the Sabah government. He expressed concern over the decision to delegate the authority to the federal government, resulting in the transfer of the Ambalat block to Indonesia.
He claimed that the incident took place recently, citing that it had caused Sabah to lose out.
Meanwhile, Sabah PKR Youth chief Zaidi Jatil issued a statement today urging Assaffal to apologise for his statement, pointing out that it was irresponsible and defamatory towards the federal government and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the Sabah PKR Youth will lodge a police report regarding Assaffal’s statement at the Kota Marudu police station tomorrow.
“Assaffal must apologise for the false statement that is triggering the “anti-federal” sentiment. His action is causing a public nuisance among the people of Sabah,” he said, adding that the federal government remains committed to protecting the sovereignty of the country.
“It is clear that his statement is seen as an attempt to create hatred towards the federal government that could jeopardise harmony.” – August 16, 2023