JAKARTA: Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) chief Admiral Agus Suhartono told the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) yesterday that the country has not lost any of its territories in Camar Bulan and Tanjung Datu, in West Kalimantan, to Malaysia.
He said TNI personnel had been carrying out surveillance at the borders in line with the Indonesia-Malaysia agreement, and that all border posts were equipped with coordinate data for border marking.
“In the event that the markings are found to be in different positions, together we will return them to their coordinates,” he said, when briefing the DPR commission.
Agus said local media reports over the purported taking of Indonesian territories by Malaysia had psychologically affected the TNI personnel stationed there.
“These media reports seemed to be belittling the duties and denying the roles of TNI personnel in these areas. They are taken aback by these reports because it’s as though they have not done their job properly,” he said.
Agus made the representation to the DPR based on reports by Tanjungpura armed forces chief Maj-Gen Geerhan Lantara, who visited the two areas following claims by DPR deputy chief commissioner, TB Hasanuddin of Parti Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDI-P), that Malaysia had illegally taken 1,500 hectares in Camar Bulan and 800 metres of coast lines in Tanjung Datu. Agus said TNI personnel has been carrying out frequent joint patrols with Malaysian Armed Forces in the two border regions. — Bernama