ISWAMI Urges Media To Report Accurately On Malaysia-Indonesia Border Issues

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- The Ikatan Setiakawan Wartawan Malaysia Indonesia (ISWAMI) has urged the media in both Malaysia and Indonesia to report accurately on issues related to the resolution of land boundary matters between the two countries, in order to avoid misinterpretation and speculation that could affect bilateral diplomatic relations.

ISWAMI Malaysia president Datuk Ahmad Zaini Kamaruzzaman said the demarcation and measurement negotiations in the Outstanding Boundary Problem (OBP) area for the Sabah-North Kalimantan (KALTARA) sector had been conducted in a harmonious manner and were not based on principles of reciprocity, compensation, or profit and loss.

“ISWAMI hopes that the mass media will provide accurate and truthful reporting, adhere to the principles and ethics of journalism, and refrain from creating narratives that could cloud the good relations between Malaysia and Indonesia,” he said in a statement today.

Earlier today, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability (NRES) has stated that media reports claiming Malaysia handed over 5,207 hectares of land to Indonesia as compensation for three villages in the Nunukan area near the Sabah-Kalimantan border as inaccurate.

NRES stressed that the finalisation of the land boundary measurement was sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Indonesia on Feb 18, 2025, following more than 45 years of comprehensive and transparent technical negotiations.

Efforts to expedite the resolution of the land boundary issue for the Sabah-KALTARA sector were agreed upon during the state visit of former Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Malaysia on June 8, 2023, with the negotiation process also involving representatives of the Sabah government as part of the Malaysian delegation.

“ISWAMI is confident that the leaders of both countries have adopted a diplomatic approach grounded in goodwill and friendship in resolving the issue,” Ahmad Zaini said.

In this regard, ISWAMI hoped that the Malaysian and Indonesian governments would provide special briefings to the media to clarify the matter, so that accurate information could be disseminated to the public and prevent negative speculation.

-- BERNAMA