RI, Malaysia navies make peace following Ambalat incident

Fadli and Rendi Witular, The Jakarta Post/Batam/Jakarta

The Indonesian and Malaysian navies reached a truce on Friday over an incident involving their warships, but both would maintain their presence in the disputed border maritime area of Ambalat off east Kalimantan.

The two sides pledged better communications to prevent a repeat of the confrontation that has prompted Kuala Lumpur to issue a protest note.

"We consider the row over," Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Slamet Soebijanto said after an informal meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Adm. Mohamad Anwar Mohamad Nur.

The two met in casual attire, in accordance with the informal status of the two-hour talks held behind closed doors at the Batam naval base.

Anwar said there would be no pullout of warships following the incident, but that the two navies would not increase their presence in the disputed area.

On April 8 Slamet said Indonesian Navy vessel KRI Tedung Naga was hit three times as it was trying to drive away the Malaysian warship KD Rencong in Karang Unarang waters near Ambalat, where Indonesia is constructing a lighthouse. The Malaysian navy, however, referred to the collision as a "brush".

In 2002, Malaysia beat Indonesia in a legal fight at the International Court of Justice for sovereignty over the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan, which lie close to the disputed maritime area.

Slamet said both sides were considering joint patrols in the disputed waters that are believed to be rich in oil and gas. He also asserted that the Indonesian Navy would not be conducting an investigation into the cause of the incident.

Anwar said nobody was to blame for the brushes as personnel on both sides in the field were just doing their duty for their respective countries.

"They were doing their jobs and the incident was just unexpected," he said.

Both navy chiefs said they would brief their personnel to exercise restraint and respect each other to make sure the incident would not recur.

The two navies regularly hold joint exercises code named Malindo.

The peace agreement came as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asserted that his government was serious in defending national interests in the potentially oil-rich area.

"It's clear ... Indonesia is convinced the disputed area of Ambalat belongs to Indonesia," Susilo said in an address to the National Resilience Institute in Jakarta.

"I have already spoken several times to Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, my good friend with whom I am very close. But what is clear that we will not sacrifice our sovereignty, our rights and our territory."

Both nations have agreed to settle the dispute peacefully. Delegates of the two countries will resume talks in Kuala Lumpur next month.