PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said yesterday Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to appoint a special envoy to undertake exploratory discussions on their maritime boundaries.
He said the initiative was one of the foundations the two countries would continue to use to resolve long-standing and complex maritime boundary issues.
“We agreed to appoint a special envoy representing the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia to hold first-stage exploratory discussions to seek a formula that may be accepted by the administrators and people of Malaysia and Indonesia.
“If the exploratory discussions are positive, then it means there is a basis to come up with a solution that the two countries could accept. Then more formal discussions will be held,” he said.
Najib spoke at a joint news conference that was also attended by visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo after their four-eyed meeting and a delegation meeting at the Perdana Putra building here.
The Indonesian leader, better known as Jokowi, is in Malaysia on a three-day state visit beginning on Thursday.
Najib also said that the technical committee on the maritime boundaries which reports to the respective foreign ministers would continue with its talks, with the next one scheduled for Feb 26.
“With these two bases, we hope to achieve progress (in resolving maritime boundary issues). The Indonesian president showed political will in seeking a solution, and so has Malaysia,” he said.
On fishermen trespassing into the waters of the two countries, Najib said he and Jokowi had reached agreement that fishermen who trespassed into territorial waters in dispute would be chased away without any legal action taken against them.
He also said that fishermen who trespassed into the rightful territorial waters of Indonesia would face action by the Indonesian government, similar to the action by the Malaysian government against Indonesian fishermen who trespassed into the rightful territorial waters of Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Jokowi said he hoped that the special envoy and the technical committee would find solutions to the long-standing maritime boundary issues.
“Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to resolve the cases of trespassing fishermen,” he said. — Bernama