Badawi says KL won't use force

Badawi says KL won't use force

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has promised to
avoid both the use of force and legal action through the
international tribunal to resolve its dispute with Indonesia over
an offshore oil field in the Sulawesi Sea.

The prime minister, however, insisted on Malaysia's
sovereignty over the Ambalat block.

Badawi made the statements during a meeting on Monday with
four Indonesian Muslim leaders -- including Said Aqiel Siradj of
Nahdlatul Ulama, Din Syamsuddin of Muhammadiyah, Cholil Badawi of
the Indonesian Islamic Propagation Council and Nazri Adlani of
the Indonesian Ulema Council -- who were visiting Kuala Lumpur.

"During the meeting, Pak Badawi said that his country had no
intention of occupying certain areas of our (Indonesia)
territory. He, however, stressed that the borderlines marking
Indonesian and Malaysian territory are overlapping," Said told
The Jakarta Post over the phone after Monday's meeting.

"Pak Badawi believed that we (Indonesia and Malaysia) could
pursue bilateral talks to determine which part of the area
belongs to us and which part is Malaysia's," he added.

According to Said, the bilateral talks are slated to be held
on March 23 and will be attended by foreign ministers from both
Indonesia and Malaysia.

During the meeting, the Muslim leaders also asked whether
Badawi would pull back Malaysia's warships and patrol boats that
had been deployed nearby the Ambalat offshore area. The prime
minister replied that he would maintain the presence of the ships
and patrol boats in a bid to secure the maritime territory.

The Ambalat oil field is situated near the islands of Sipadan and
Ligitan that had been in dispute for years between Malaysia and
Indonesia. The International Court of Justice eventually awarded
Malaysia sovereignty over the islands in 2002. However, Indonesia
insists that Malaysia's maritime territory extends only 19
kilometers from the islands, meaning that the Ambalat block
belongs to Indonesia.

The visit of the Indonesian Muslim leaders comes amid
heightened tension between Malaysia and Indonesia over the border
issue. Initially, they had also planned to meet with their
Malaysian counterparts, but according to Said, the plan had been
canceled because "most Malaysians here are not aware of the
Ambalat issue."

Separately, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono telephoned on
Monday Libyan President Moamar Qadhafi to respond to the current
situation in the border area.

According to Indonesian presidential spokesman Dino Pati
Djalal, the conversation lasted for about 10 minutes, during
which Qadhafi expressed his concern regarding "the increasing
hardship and conflict among the Islamic community."

"He (Qadhafi) expressed his dismay over the growing dispute
between Indonesia and Malaysia, which are the two most important
Muslim countries in the world. Mr. Qadhafi urged Indonesia and
Malaysia to settle the dispute peacefully," Dino said, adding
that Susilo had been receptive to Qadhafi's plea.

Malaysia chairs the Organization of Islamic Conference, of
which Indonesia and Libya are members.