PUTRAJAYA, Feb 6 ― Malaysia and Indonesia today agreed to take legal action against fishing vessels that have clearly trespassed into their respective territories, as the neighbours pursue a solution to long-standing maritime disputes.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said neither side will interfere if it is a clear case of encroachment.
“If a Malaysian vessel has clearly trespassed into Indonesian territory, then they will face legal action and likewise (for Indonesian vessels in Malaysian waters),” he said at a joint-news conference with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Neither Najib nor Joko, however, specified what sort of action would be taken on the maritime trespassers.
Indonesia recently adopted stricter control of its maritime borders after Joko issued a warning in last December that foreign fishing boats operating illegally in Indonesian waters would be subjected to “shock therapy” sinkings.
Indonesian officials were reported confirming last month that a fishing boat with a Malaysian flag was the first that was “permitted by the court” to be blown up for illegal fishing.
Today, Najib said maritime authorities who find fishing boats in waters where both Malaysia and Indonesia have each staked a claim, will send the vessels back across the sea line to their respective territories.
He said it was also agreed to appoint a special envoy to hold “exploratory negotiations” in both Malaysia and Indonesia to see if a formula could be developed to solve maritime disputes between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
The envoy will be tasked with presenting possible solutions to the governments and people of both countries, the prime minister added.
“If there are positive signs, that means there is a basis for it to be a formula of a solution that can be used by both countries, so it will be pursued with more formal discussions,” he said.
At the same time, negotiations will continue in the joint Malaysia-Indonesia boundary technical committee, which is expected to hold its next meeting on February 26.
“The technical committee has held meetings 26 times, but have yet to come up with results that show significant progress. So we decided to pursue this on two tracks,” Najib said.
