February 4, 2026 | 03:38 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has strongly denied claims that his government handed over 5,207 hectares of Malaysian territory to Indonesia as compensation for three villages in the Nunukan Regency joining the Sabah region.
Anwar called the allegations untrue and misleading to the public.
In an official statement in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, Anwar emphasized that territorial boundaries are determined by international conventions and agreements, not through compensation or reciprocal arrangements.
“The basis for determining Malaysia’s international land boundary with Indonesia rests on two conventions and one agreement,” he said.
The controversy began after a report on January 22, 2026, claimed Malaysia had ceded 5,207 hectares to Indonesia for the villages of Kampung Kabunggalo, Kampung Lempaga, and Kampung Tetagas. Anwar dismissed the report as erroneous and lacking legal basis.
He clarified that Malaysia’s position on national borders is consistent with international law and bilateral agreements.
For the Malaysia-Indonesia land border, Malaysia relies on three main instruments: the Boundary Convention 1891 between Britain and the Netherlands, the Boundary Agreement 1915 for Sabah, and the Boundary Convention 1928 covering part of Sarawak.
Regarding the Outstanding Boundary Problem (OBP) areas of Sungai Sinapat and Sungai Sesai, Anwar explained that these territories were never formally owned by any country. Historically, the northern area was under British Sabah control, while the southern area fell under Dutch control, now Indonesia.
Negotiations over the Malaysia-Indonesia land border have been ongoing since 1977, spanning 47 years. Joint measurements revealed that the Sungai Sinapat basin lies north of the agreed 4°20'N latitude line, leading Malaysia to claim the river basin as its territory.
Anwar stressed that the process was conducted through mutual negotiation, not unilateral action.
Malaysia and Indonesia share a 2,064-kilometer land border, with 419.4 kilometers in Sabah-North Kalimantan and 1,644.6 kilometers in Sarawak-West Kalimantan. To date, only parts of the North Kalimantan sector, including Pulau Sebatik and Sungai Sinapat-Sungai Sesai, have been formally demarcated.
Through joint measurements and agreements, Pulau Sebatik added 5 hectares to Malaysia, while Sungai Sinapat and Sungai Sesai added around 780 hectares. Anwar stressed that these adjustments reflect formal border demarcation, not territorial exchange.
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