Navy keeps patrolling in Sipadan-Ligitan

JAKARTA: Indonesian Navy spokesman Commodore Sugeng Waluyo said the Navy would continue patrolling the disputed Sipadan and Ligitan islands off East Kalimantan province.

He revealed that his vessels often met Malaysian naval ships while patrolling there.

"We've never been involved in a fight," he said on Thursday on the sidelines of a ceremony marking the Navy's 57th anniversary in Cilangkap.

Sugeng emphasized that the patrols were designed to prevent smuggling into and out of Indonesian territory.

The Netherlands-based International Court of Justice is to issue a final and binding decision on Dec. 17 on the ownership of Sipadan and Ligitan islands, which are claimed both by Indonesia and Malaysia.

Foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda said on Wednesday that Indonesia was ready to accept any decision on the disputed islands that the court might make. --Antara