'Disclose details of Ambalat agreement to PAC' urges KJ

SHAH ALAM - The government could propose to present details of maritime boundary agreement signed with Indonesia to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on International Affairs discreetly.

Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin suggested this step could be taken if the government could not declassify the agreement to show that it does not involve the Ambalat block.

He said both sides of the aisle have MPs in the special committee and given the sensitivity of the border issues, this discreet approach could be recommended.

"I made this approach (to disclose the agreement) during the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).

"Even though there is a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the vaccine producer, I showed the purchase contract (for the vaccine) to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)," he said through an InstaStory on his Instagram account today.

Elaborating further, the former Umno youth chief said the PAC then formulated that all vaccine purchase processes were correct and in compliance with regulations.

"So (to the current government) could do the same thing," he said.

Last Sunday, the federal government was urged to declassify the maritime boundary agreement documents signed with Indonesia in June, in order to address the Ambalat issue raised by several parties.

The Sabah Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said this step could show the extent to which the Sulawesi Sea Treaty, signed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, excludes the Ambalat block.

He said trevealing the agreement could also dispel speculations and concerns over semi-maritime boundary between the two countries in the Sulawesi Sea, as previously stated by the government.

Kiandee said the Ambalat block, covering approximately 15,000 square kilometres in the disputed area off the coast of Sabah, said to contain the world's largest crude oil reserves and has been defended by Malaysia for a long time, cannot be compromised in any way.

"Moreover, maritime experts involved in protecting Malaysia's territorial rights cautioned against signing new agreement to resolve the ongoing border dispute with Indonesia.

"They said Malaysia should not compromise on its claims to certain areas.

"We cannot compromise or negotiate on matters of national sovereignty, especially in Sabah waters, which also involves the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf between Malaysia and Indonesia," he said.