KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to hold special proceedings to further explain the treaties signed between Malaysia and Indonesia on the Territorial Sea Delimitation in the Sulawesi Sea and Straits of Melaka.
Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (Beluran-PN) said although this could not be done in the Dewan Rakyat, it can be presented to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) or the Special Select Committee on Foreign Affairs.
"Malaysia initially did not agree to the agreement due to the issues but when the new government came in, it was signed abruptly.
"Previously the vaccination agreement could not be made public but it was presented in the PAC.
"So why don't we do the same to ease the speculations especially related to Ambalat block," he said during the question and answer session at Dewan Rakyat earlier today.
He claimed that the Indonesians were celebrating following the agreement signed earlier this year leading to more speculation on its contents.
"We cannot blame the speculations raised," he added.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin responded that the Indonesian government was in the midst of ratification of the agreement which was signed earlier this year.
He said that the Indonesian government was expected to table it in parliament for the ratification process.
In Malaysia, he said that the agreement was discussed at the executive level during the Cabinet meeting.
"If we are called to present in the committee meeting, we are ready but we cannot do it in the parliament session.
"We have to respect the sensitivity of the related countries," he added.
Malaysia signed two treaties involving the matter - Straits of Melaka Treaty and Sulawesi Sea Treaty.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the two treaties were signed based on the choice of the best border points that could be reached jointly and followed international laws, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), and also precedent cases decided by international courts and international tribunals.
He said the treaties would provide clarity in terms of sovereignty and jurisdiction that would allow both countries to carry out law enforcement activities in their respective maritime areas more effectively, including cross-border crime prevention activities such as goods smuggling and human trafficking.