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TAWAU: All parties have been urged to remain calm and respect the outcome of the boundary demarcation measurements on Pulau Sebatik, without being influenced by polemics that could affect Malaysia–Indonesia relations.

Kalabakan MP Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy (pic) said the issue should continue to be guided by mutual respect for sovereignty, trust between both countries and fact-based solutions in the long-term interest of border communities.

He said Malaysia remains committed to ensuring the boundary affirmation process is carried out through regional stability considerations, the welfare of border residents and established diplomatic, intergovernmental and official mechanisms rather than public disputes.

Suryady said concerns raised by certain parties over the impact of the Malaysia–Indonesia boundary affirmation on Pulau Sebatik and surrounding areas were understandable, but stressed that the decision was reached through long-standing official technical and diplomatic negotiations, including historical references and old maps, and not unilateral action.

He noted that Indonesia’s National Border Management Agency confirmed that outstanding boundary points at B-2700, B-3000 and Simantipal were resolved through a joint memorandum signed on Feb 18, 2025, involving about 127.3 hectares remaining or returning to Indonesia and 4.9 hectares of settlement areas to Malaysia, a position also confirmed by Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup on Jan 23.