Malaysia, Indonesia, to Ease Tension in Maritime border
Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to establish a special mechanism to discuss and finalise the demarcation of maritime boundaries in the Sulawesi Sea, in an effort to avoid any tension that could arise between the two countries. Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin said the decision was made during a meeting between Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Bernama News said. Zainuddin explained that once the mechanism is set up, both countries will appoint special consultants to hold exploratory talks to discuss the issue. On the encroachment of fishermen in the overlapping waters, Zainuddin said Malaysia and Indonesia had agreed that they would not be arrested but would only be chased out of the encroached area.
Malaysia Playing It Safe with South China Sea
Malaysia, as the Asean Chairman, will push forward the drafting of a code of conduct (CoC) with China to settle the territorial maritime dispute in South China Sea. Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin said this was in line with the nation's position as chairman of Asean this year, which was accepted amid tensions in the South China Sea. "Malaysia has played a role in hosting the Asean foreign ministers' territorial meeting in Sabah in January. An extensive discussion on the establishment of a CoC was held in the presence of China's Foreign Affairs Minister. Malaysia, it is said, is after all not only a founding member of ASEAN but a claimant state in the South China Sea disputes that also has a good relationship with China.
