"KD Baung 3509" "Malaysia's Navy Vessel that Often Enters Ambalat"
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sought to downplay recent face-offs between Indonesian and Malaysian warships in the disputed Ambalat waters, a day after the Navy again challenged a Malaysian fast-attack vessel about 13 kilometers inside Indonesian territory. Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said that encounters between the two countries’ navies were not uncommon given that Indonesia and Malaysia remain deadlocked in a dispute over the oil-rich area off the coast of Malaysia’s Sabah State and Indonesia’s East Kalimantan. Faizasyah said that the Ambalat talks had been on hold since April 2008. “We’re waiting for [Malaysia] to form a new team and resume discussions,” he said, adding that until they met again, both countries were within their rights to patrol near their borders. The Ambalat dispute returned to the fore when the Navy said a Malaysian naval ship encroached 12 nautical miles into Indonesian territory on May 25. The Navy said it was at least the ninth time this year that a Malaysian navy or police ship had entered Indonesian waters and that they were moments away from attacking. Then on Saturday, a Malaysian fast-attack craft entered Indonesian Ambalat and was detected by an Indonesian Navy ship that was patrolling in the area. The Indonesian vessel’s skipper, Capt. Salim, who spoke to the Jakarta Globe in Surabaya, said the Malaysian ship was 7.3 nautical miles inside Indonesian territory. Salim said that the Malaysian warship ignored attempts at communication. After failing to establish radio contact, Salim’s ship shadowed the Malaysian vessel, pushing it out of Indonesian waters after 90 minutes. Officials at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta could not be reached for comment on Sunday. Malaysian officials have not commented publicly on Indonesia’s accounts of the recent naval face-offs, and media there have not covered the incidents. “They usually blackout things like this,” the Asia Sentinel quoted a Kuala Lumpur government source as saying. On June, 04 2009 Indonesia's Radar also detected that many of Malaysia's Air Force Plane enters Indonesia Air Territory without permits, they detected make a maneuver and come from Tawau, Malaysia's City border, near Ambalat block.
Author: The Jakarta Globe with a little modified Indonesia Today
