Oil dispute a hiccup in relations: KL<\/p>\n
Jasbant Singh, Associated Press\/Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
The tense standoff between Malaysia and Indonesia over a disputed
\noffshore oil field is merely a hiccup in relations that's being
\nblown out of proportion by the Indonesian media, Malaysia's
\nforeign minister said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was scheduled to depart for
\nJakarta on Wednesday for three days of talks with Indonesian
\ncounterpart Hassan Wirayuda on the overlapping claims, which
\nprompted both sides to deploy warships in recent days and accuse
\nthe other side of trespassing.<\/p>\n
\"The media in Indonesia have initiated a tremendous raising of
\nfeelings,\" Syed Hamid told reporters. \"I think this is not
\nbeneficial. We should resolve the issue through negotiations and
\ntalks. We should not make the situation worse.\"<\/p>\n
He did not give examples of news reports that he considered
\noverblown.<\/p>\n
The dispute over the oil field in the Sulawesi Sea off Borneo
\nIsland's eastern coast further sours relations that have been
\nmade tense recently over Malaysia's expulsion of hundreds of
\nthousands of illegal Indonesian workers.<\/p>\n
The long-standing dispute re-emerged in February when
\nMalaysia's national oil company, Petronas, awarded production-
\nsharing contracts to two of Shell's Malaysian units and to
\nPetronas Carigali Sdn. Bhd. for two deep-water blocks.<\/p>\n
Indonesia said the oil blocks are within its borders. The
\nblocks are near Sipadan and Ligitan islands, disputed for years
\nbetween Malaysia and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The International Court of Justice gave Malaysia sovereignty
\nover the islands in 2002. But Indonesia claims Malaysia's water
\nterritory extends only 19 kilometers (12 miles) from the islands.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Malaysians Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and
\nIndonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sought to defuse
\ntensions by talking to each other by phone for 10 minutes. They
\nagreed that their foreign ministers would resolve the matter
\nthrough negotiations.<\/p>\n
\"We will protect our interests and sovereignty but that does
\nnot mean we want to be confrontational,\" Syed Hamid said, adding
\nthat the spat was \"short term, situational.\"<\/p>\n
Syed Hamid said he has some proposals on how to resolve the
\nconflict but didn't elaborate.<\/p>\n
He criticized a demonstration by about 100 Indonesians on
\nMonday outside the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta in which the
\nprotesters chanted \"crush Malaysia.\"<\/p>\n
\"Beefing up all these emotions is not good. I do not want to
\nadd fire to what already looks or has a semblance of anger that
\nis being whipped up in Indonesia. In Malaysia we should stay
\ncalm,\" he said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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