Malaysia to retain ND6, ND7 terminology for oil and gas blocks, not Ambalat
The Deputy Foreign Minister told Parliament that discussions on renaming the blocks have not taken place, and Malaysia will maintain the existing terminology for now.
He said the country would continue to address maritime boundary issues with Indonesia through technical meetings, stressing that negotiations should be conducted in a spirit of friendship rather than emotion.
'This year, we have had five meetings, and they will be used as best as possible to resolve matters, to discuss in a friendly way and not emotionally.
'At the same time, we will always safeguard Malaysia's sovereignty and ensure the rights and interests of Sabah are preserved,' he said during Question Time in Parliament on Wednesday (Aug 20).
Mohamad was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran), who asked if Malaysia intended to adopt a more significant name to replace ND6 and ND7.
The Deputy Minister also noted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto issued a joint statement on June 27 during Anwar's official visit to Jakarta, which touched on the possibility of joint development in the Sulawesi Sea.
He said the joint proposal was still at the early stage of consideration and had not been finalised.
'This is an initial effort by the leaders to explore the best solutions for both countries.
'The proposal is separate from the Sulawesi Sea Treaty signed on June 8, 2023, as that treaty only covers part of the territorial sea and does not include ND6 and ND7, which fall within the Exclusive Economic Zone or Continental Shelf,' Mohamad said.
He added that in every negotiation with Indonesia, Malaysia would prioritise its sovereignty and the interests of Sabah.
On joint development, Mohamad said Sabah and Sarawak leaders had agreed to continue negotiations under existing mechanisms.
'At the July 28-29 meeting, which also involved the Sabah Chief Minister and the Sarawak Premier, the Sulawesi Sea was discussed in general, and both leaders agreed that Malaysia and Indonesia should proceed with negotiations,' he said.
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