Indonesia-Malaysia border
Encyclopedia
The border between the Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia
and Malaysia consist of both a land border separating the two countries' territories on the island of Borneo
as well as maritime boundaries
along the length of the Straits of Malacca, in the South China Sea
and in the Celebes Sea
.
The land boundary
has a length of 2,019.5 km and stretches from Tanjung Datu at the northwestern corner of Borneo, through the highlands of the Borneo hinterland, to the Gulf of Sebatik and the Celebes Sea in the eastern side of the island. The boundary separates the Indonesian provinces of East Kalimantan
and West Kalimantan
, and the Malaysian states of Sabah
and Sarawak
.
The maritime boundary in the Straits of Malacca generally follows the median line between the baselines of Indonesia
and Malaysian, running south from the tripoint with Thailand
to the start of the maritime border with Singapore
. Only part of this boundary has been delimited through a continental shelf boundary treaty in 1969 and a territorial sea boundary treaty in 1970. The continental shelf boundary between Indonesia and Malaysia in the South China Sea is also drawn along the equidistant line between the baselines of the two countries under the 1969 continental shelf boundary.
The border in the Celebes Sea is subject to dispute between the two countries. Part of the dispute was settled by the judgement of the International Court of Justice in the Sipadan
and Ligitan Case in 2002 and is now awaiting delimitation
between the two countries. The two countries however still have overlapping claims over the continental shelf which Indonesia refers to as Ambalat
.
There are numerous sea transport crossings between Indonesia and Malaysia, mostly between Indonesia's Sumatra
island and Peninsula Malaysia but also between the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan
and Malaysia's Sabah
state. The only official land transport crossing point is at Entikong (in Indonesia)/Tebedu (in Malaysia). The border, both land and maritime, is relatively porous and has allowed a huge influx of illegal immigrant workers from Indonesia to Malaysia.
The principal document determining the land border between Indonesia and Malaysia on the island of Borneo
is the Border Convention or London Convention of 1891 which was signed in London signed between Great Britain and the Netherlands, the two relevant colonial powers of that time, on 20 June 1891. Subsequent agreements between the colonial powers in 1915 and 1928 fine-tuned the border further. Much of the fine-tuning of the border concerned the Jagoi - Stass region in western Borneo, which, after negotiations stalled in 1930, was not yet considered definitive. The treaty and various agreements were subsequently adopted by Indonesia and Malaysia as successor states. The pending status of the maritime boundary in the Celebes Sea, which has been the source of recent Malaysia-Indonesia boundary disputes over Sipadan
, Ligitan
and Ambalat
, may lend to the fact that most boundary negotiations in Borneo between the colonial powers were primarily focused on terrestrial borders inlands.
The convention states that the eastern end of the border would start at the 4° 10' North latitude, proceeding westward across the island of Sebatik off the coast of Sabah
near Tawau
town, bisecting it. The border then crosses the water channel between Sebatik and the mainland and travels up along the median line of the Tambu and Sikapal channels until the hills which form the watershed between the Simengaris (in Indonesia) and Serudung (in Malaysia) rivers. The border travels generally northwestward towards the 4° 20'N, and then generally westwards but accommodating the watershed, although the Pensiangan, Agisan and Sibuda rivers are allowed to intersect the border. The border then follows the line of ridges along the watershed between major rivers following northwards into the South China Sea, and those flowing eastwards, southwards and westwards into the Celebes Sea, Java Sea and Karimata Straits until Tanjung Datu at 109° 38'.8 E 02° 05'.0 N in the western extremity of Sarawak
. The watershed is however not followed in a short stretch southwest of Kuching
between Gunung Api at 110° 04'E and Gunung Raja at 109° 56'E where the border follows streams, paths, crests and straight lines which are marked by boundary markers and pillars.
On 26 November 1973, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Indonesia and Malaysia for the joint survey and demarcation of their common land border. Work began on 9 September 1975 and was completed in February 2000. As of 2006, a total of 19 memoranda of understanding with 28 maps had been signed between the two countries pertaining to the survey and demarcation of the border covering a distance of 1,822.3 km of the 2,019.5 km border.
between Indonesia and Malaysia are located four bodies of water, namely the Straits of Malacca, Straits of Singapore, South China Sea and Celebes Sea. The territorial seas of both countries (both claim a 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) territorial sea) only meet in the Straits of Malacca and Straits of Singapore. Territorial sea boundaries also exist at the continuation of both ends of the land boundary between the two countries in Borneo. Only continental shelf boundaries have been agreed to in the South China Sea while the continental shelf boundary in the Celebes Sea has not been determined at all.
The continental shelf and territorial sea boundaries generally runs along the median line between the baselines of the two countries. Indonesia and Malaysia both agreed to a continental shelf boundary in 1969 (signed on 27 October 1969) and a territorial sea boundary in 1970 (signed on 17 March 1970). The two countries together with Thailand
entered to an agreement on 21 December 1971 established a common maritime tripoint as well as extended the continental shelf boundary between Indonesia and Malaysia from the northern terminus defined in the 1969 agreement to meet the tripoint in a straight line (see table below).
Both the continental shelf boundary and territorial sea boundary generally follow the equidistant line between the baseline
s of the two countries. The continental shelf and territorial sea boundaries are generally one and the same line with the same turning points except for one turning point of the territorial sea boundary known as "Turning Point 6" which does not apply to Malaysia, with the Malaysian territorial sea boundary running directly from Turning Point 5 to Turning Point 7, which coincides with the continental shelf boundary as defined by the 1969 apgreement. This phenomenon creates a small triangle of sea in the southern part of the Straits of Malacca which forms part of the Indonesian continental shelf but not part of the country's territorial sea.
Malaysia's 1979 map
The continental shelf and territorial sea boundaries beyond the southern terminus of the 1969 and 1970 agreements have not been agreed to. The 1979 territorial sea and continental shelf map published by Malaysia shows a unilaterally drawn continental shelf/territorial sea boundary connecting the southern terminus of the 1969 continental shelf and 1970 territorial sea agreement between Indonesia and Malaysia with the Malaysia-Singapore border
at the western entrance of the Straits of Johor
. The boundary's southern-most turning point, namely Point 17, is inside Indonesia's baseline in the Riau Islands, giving the impression that Malaysia is claiming a slice of Indonesia's internal waters as part of its territorial sea. The boundaries on the 1979 map are not recognised by Indonesia nor Singapore.
The map also does not show the western Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore tripoint, which should be located in this area. Indonesia and Singapore signed an agreement in 2009, extending their defined common boundary
to a point where the two countries claim was as far westwards as they could go bilaterally. Tri-lateral negotiations would be necessary to define the tri-point and close the undefined boundary gaps.
Only the continental shelf boundary has been determined between the two countries for this segment of their maritime border. The border follows the equidistant line between the baselines of Indonesia and Malaysia and Point 20 is the equidistant point between Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam (see table below). Point 20 is the western terminus of the Indonesia-Vietnam continental shelf boundary
which the two countries agreed to in 2003 and the eastern-most point of the area of overlapping claims
between Malaysia and Vietnam.
The southern termninus of the continental shelf boundary lies to the east of Pedra Branca which was disputed between Malaysia and Singapore and eventually awarded to Singapore by an International Court of Justice ruling.
Malaysia's 1979 map
No maritime border agreement covers the continuation of the border from the southern terminus of the continental shelf boundary to the meeting point of the territorial water of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore which should lie in the area. Malaysia and Singapore have also yet to determine their mutual border from the eastern terminus of the Malaysia-Singapore border
which was as determined in the 1995 Malaysia-Singapore border
agreement to the tripoint.
Malaysia's 1979 continental shelf and territorial sea map unilaterally connects the southern terminus of the Indonesia-Malaysia continental shelf boundary with the Malaysia-Singapore border
at the eastern entrance of the Straits of Johor
. The coordinates of the unilateral boundary in the chart below. The map places Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge inside Malaysia's territorial sea. Both Indonesia and Singapore do not recognise the borders drawn in the 1979 map.
The 2008 International Court of Justice decision on the sovereignty of Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge should enable the maritime borders between the three countries in this stretch of waters to be determined. Revision to the 1979 map will be needed with the awarding of Pedra Branca to Singapore and Middle Rocks to Malaysia by the ICJ. The sovereignty of South Ledge, which is submerged during high tide, will be determined later through the determination of territorial waters in which it is situated. While South Ledge lies closest to Middle Rocks and then Pedra Branca, the nearest shore to the marine feature is actually the northern shore of Indonesia's Bintan island.
Singapore has indicated that its border with Indonesia
in this area will comprise of two stretches - one between the main Singapore island and Indonesia's Batam island, and the other between Singapore's Pedra Branca
and Indonesia's Bintan Island. A stretch of the Indonesia–Malaysia border will run in between. This will effectively establish three Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore tripoints in the area. The determination of boundaries to fill the various gaps and defining the various tripoints would require Indonesia-Malaysia-Singape trilateral negotiations.
, known as "Point 21" with coordinates 109° 38'.8E 02° 05'.0N. From this point, the border proceeds in a general northerly direction to "Point 25" 109° 38'.6E 06° 18'.2N which is at the 100 fathom point or the edge of the continental shelf.
Point 25 is also the eastern terminus of the Indonesia-Vietnam continental shelf boundary
which was agreed to by the two countries in 2003, making it the common tripoint of Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. This is also the western terminus of the Malysian continental shelf boundary in South China Sea as asserted in the country's 1979 territorial sea and continental shelf boundary map. The boundary is however not recognised by any other country.
(see below).
The map also puts the islands of Sipadan
and Ligitan within Malaysian territorial waters. Indonesia initially rejected the assertion that the islands belonged to Malaysia and both countries brought the dispute to the International Court of Justice
. In 2002, the court decided that the sovereignty of the two islands belonged to Malaysia. The court however did not determine the maritime boundary in the surrounding waters and specifically decided that the 4° 10' North parallel which marked the easternmost portion of the Indonesia-Malaysia land border in Sebatik island did not extend to sea to form either the territorial sea or continental shelf border.
which was signed in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty determined the spheres of influence in the Malay archipelago between the two colonial powers - Great Britain and the Netherlands. Great Britain was allowed to establish colonies to the north of the Straits of Malacca and Straits of Singapore while the Dutch were allowed to colonise areas to the south of the bodies of water. This line of separation between the spheres of influence became the basis of the border between British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies and ultimately, their successor states Malaysia and Indonesia.
On Borneo, the expansion of British and Dutch interests and influence over local sultanates and kingdoms occurred gradually throughout the 19th century. The northern shore of Borneo saw the British adventurer James Brooke
become the Rajah of Sarawak
in 1842 and gradually expanded his kingdom to its present shape and size in 1905. The Sultan of Brunei's territories in today's Sabah
were initially leased to Austrian interests, which ultimately fell into the hands of the British, which later formed the British North Borneo Company
. The Sultan of Sulu also leased its territories on the east coast of today's Sabah to the British in 1878. In the southern part of Borneo, the Dutch were negotiating treaties with various sultanates, allowing it to be the dominant colonial power in that portion of the island. In 1889, as the acquired territories of the two powers started to get closer, a commission was created to recommend a boundary. The recommendations were legalised in the Boundary Convention of 1891 which was signed in London on 20 June 1891. The boundary was updated in the Boundary Agreement of 1915 which was signed in London on 28 September 1915, and again in another Boundary Convention which was signed in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 26 March 1928.
and Ligitan
islands. The dispute over the Ambalat
block of the Celebes Sea seabed, believed to be rich in mineral resources, continues.
and Ligitan
are two small islands just off the east coast of Borneo which were claimed by Indonesia and Malaysia. The dispute originated in 1969 when the two countries negotiated to delimit the common border of their continental shelf. As the two countries could not agree on the soveignty of the two islands, the continental shelf border was left off the 1969 agreement between the to countries.
Indonesia claimed that the islands were theirs by virtue of the fact that they were located south of 4° 10" North which it said formed the maritime border between it and Malaysia by virtue of a straight line extension of the land border which ended on the east coast Sebatik island. Malaysia however, claimed a stretch of territorial waters and the continental shelf south of the latitude which included the two islands. The claim was confirmed through its map which it published in 1979. Indonesia protested the delimitation on the map.
The dispute was brought before the International Court of Justice and on 17 December 2002, decided that sovereignty of Sipadan and Ligitan belonged to Malaysia on the basis of effectivités. It however did not decide on the question of territorial waters and maritime borders. This allowed the dispute over territorial waters and continental shelf to remain unresolved. The dispute over the Ambalat
block (see below) can be seen to be part of this dispute over territorial waters and continental shelf.
See their respective pages for more on Sipadan
and Ligitan
.
is an area of the seabed or continental shelf in the Celebes Sea
off the east coast of Borneo which is claimed by Indonesia and Malaysia. The seabed is believed to be rich in crude oil. Contrary to popular belief, the International Court of Justice decision over the sovereignty of Sipadan and Ligitan did not solve the dispute over Ambalat as it did not include issues concerning the demarcation of the territorial sea and continental shelf boundaries of the two countries in the area.
The dispute started with Malaysia issuing a map in 1979 of its territorial sea and continental shelf which included the Ambalat block. The map rew Malaysia's maritime boundary in a southeast direction into the Celebes Sea after it leaves the eastmost point on land on Sebatik island. This would include the Ambalat block, or a large part of it, within the Malaysian continental shelf. Indonesia has, like the other neighbours of Malaysia, objected to the map. Indonesia has never officially announced the exact locations of its maritime boundaries but claimed during its arguments in the Sipadan Case that it continued in a straight line along the 4° 10' North latitude after it leaves Sebatik.
Both countries have also awarded exploration contracts to oil companies for the area. Indonesia has awarded concessions to ENI of Italy for what it called the Ambalat Block in 1999 and US company Unocal for East Ambalat in 2004. Petronas, the Malaysian petroleum company, meanwhile awarded a concession over what Malaysia called Block ND 6 and ND 7 in February 2005. A large part of Ambalat overlaps with Block ND 6 while a huge portion of East Ambalat overlaps with Block ND 7.
The dispute has created considerable tension between the two countries, with several facing-off incidents between the navy ships of both countries. The latest round of tension occurred at the end of May 2009 when Indonesian media reports stated that Indonesian navy ships were close to firing shots at a Malaysian navy vessel which it claimed had encroached deep into Indonesian territorial waters.
Negotiations are currently on-going to resolve the dispute, although media reports say no talks have been held since April 2008.
For more details on the dispute, see the Ambalat
page.
while Malaysia claimed that based on GPS reading, they were watters of Kota Tinggi in Johor
. The three were part of a team of five officers whose vessel (with non functioning GPS) confronted five Malaysian fishing boats fishing in the area. The three boarded one of the Malaysian fishing boats and were then arrested by the Malaysian authorities. Their two colleagues boarded another fishing vessel and arrested seven fishermen and detained them. It was reported that the Malaysian authorties fired some warning shots during the incident. All detainees were released by 17 August 2010 but the incident unleashed a wave of anti-Malaysia sentiments in Indonesia.
Both Indonesia and Malaysia agreed that the maritime border between the two countries in the area has not been determined. Indonesia claimed that it was ready to begin negotiations to determine the border but said that the Malaysians, which relies on its 1979 territorial waters and continental shelf limit map as the basis for its claim in the area, were not ready as they wanted to settle its maritime border with Singapore adjacent to the area first following the International Court of Justice's award of the sovereignty of Pedra Branca
to Singapore.
and Entikong in West Kalimantan
. The crossing is along the main route between Kuching
, the capital of Sarawak, and Pontianak
, the capital of West Kalimantan.
There are numerous other informal crossings between Indonesia and Malaysia along the length of the land border, such as in Serikin near Kuching, Bario in the Kelabit Highlands and Sapulut in the interior of Sabah. These are mostly used by the local population and a certain amount of cross-border trading and smuggling goes on at these and other illegal crossings. Illegal immigrants are also known to use such crossings.
and Peninsula Malaysia. Here is a list of ports (Indonesian port followed by the Malaysian port) where scheduled boat services operate as of April 2008:
Sumatra-Peninsula Malaysia
East Kalimantan-Sabah
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Malaysia consist of both a land border separating the two countries' territories on the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
as well as maritime boundaries
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
along the length of the Straits of Malacca, in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
and in the Celebes Sea
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia...
.
The land boundary
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
has a length of 2,019.5 km and stretches from Tanjung Datu at the northwestern corner of Borneo, through the highlands of the Borneo hinterland, to the Gulf of Sebatik and the Celebes Sea in the eastern side of the island. The boundary separates the Indonesian provinces of East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan is the second largest Indonesian province, located on the Kalimantan region on the east of Borneo island. The resource-rich province has two major cities, Samarinda and Balikpapan...
and West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is one of four Indonesian provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital city Pontianak is located right on the Equator....
, and the Malaysian states of Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
.
The maritime boundary in the Straits of Malacca generally follows the median line between the baselines of Indonesia
Baselines of Indonesia
Indonesia's baselines follows the archipelagic baselines principle provided for under Article 46 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea...
and Malaysian, running south from the tripoint with Thailand
Malaysia-Thailand border
The Malaysia-Thailand border consists of both a land boundary across the Malay Peninsula and maritime boundaries in the Straits of Malacca and the Gulf of Thailand/South China Sea. Malaysia lies to the south of the border while Thailand lies to the north...
to the start of the maritime border with Singapore
Malaysia-Singapore Border
The Malaysia–Singapore border is an international maritime border between the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, which lies to the north of the border, and Singapore to the south...
. Only part of this boundary has been delimited through a continental shelf boundary treaty in 1969 and a territorial sea boundary treaty in 1970. The continental shelf boundary between Indonesia and Malaysia in the South China Sea is also drawn along the equidistant line between the baselines of the two countries under the 1969 continental shelf boundary.
The border in the Celebes Sea is subject to dispute between the two countries. Part of the dispute was settled by the judgement of the International Court of Justice in the Sipadan
Sipadan
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia . It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop...
and Ligitan Case in 2002 and is now awaiting delimitation
Boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation, or simply delimitation, is the term used to describe the drawing of boundaries, but is most often used to describe the drawing of electoral boundaries, specifically those of precincts, states, counties or other municipalities...
between the two countries. The two countries however still have overlapping claims over the continental shelf which Indonesia refers to as Ambalat
Ambalat
Ambalat is a sea block in the Celebes sea which is currently in part of Indonesia sovereignty. Ambalat sea block is located off the coast of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Malaysia refers to part of the Ambalat block as Block ND6 and part...
.
There are numerous sea transport crossings between Indonesia and Malaysia, mostly between Indonesia's Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
island and Peninsula Malaysia but also between the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan is the second largest Indonesian province, located on the Kalimantan region on the east of Borneo island. The resource-rich province has two major cities, Samarinda and Balikpapan...
and Malaysia's Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
state. The only official land transport crossing point is at Entikong (in Indonesia)/Tebedu (in Malaysia). The border, both land and maritime, is relatively porous and has allowed a huge influx of illegal immigrant workers from Indonesia to Malaysia.
Land border
The territorial division of Borneo gained scant Dutch attention until the arrival of James Brooke in Sarawak in 1841, which the Dutch-Indies Government in Batavia (Jakarta) sensed as a threat to their hegemonic position over Bornean coastal trade. This drove the Dutch Governor General, J.J. Rochussen, to issue a decree in February 1846 outlining Dutch terrestrial interests (as opposed to mere coastal control) over Borneo. This document provided a fait-accompli division of Borneo based on the flow of watersheds. This decree was essentially the blueprint that the Dutch subsequently negotiated with the British that resulted in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1891.The principal document determining the land border between Indonesia and Malaysia on the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
is the Border Convention or London Convention of 1891 which was signed in London signed between Great Britain and the Netherlands, the two relevant colonial powers of that time, on 20 June 1891. Subsequent agreements between the colonial powers in 1915 and 1928 fine-tuned the border further. Much of the fine-tuning of the border concerned the Jagoi - Stass region in western Borneo, which, after negotiations stalled in 1930, was not yet considered definitive. The treaty and various agreements were subsequently adopted by Indonesia and Malaysia as successor states. The pending status of the maritime boundary in the Celebes Sea, which has been the source of recent Malaysia-Indonesia boundary disputes over Sipadan
Sipadan
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia . It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop...
, Ligitan
Ligitan
Ligitan is a small island in Tawau, Sabah, located east of the island of Borneo, in the Celebes Sea. In the past, the island was at the centre of a territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia...
and Ambalat
Ambalat
Ambalat is a sea block in the Celebes sea which is currently in part of Indonesia sovereignty. Ambalat sea block is located off the coast of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Malaysia refers to part of the Ambalat block as Block ND6 and part...
, may lend to the fact that most boundary negotiations in Borneo between the colonial powers were primarily focused on terrestrial borders inlands.
The convention states that the eastern end of the border would start at the 4° 10' North latitude, proceeding westward across the island of Sebatik off the coast of Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
near Tawau
Tawau
Tawau is the administrative center of Tawau Division, Malaysia and the third largest town of Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.-Geography:...
town, bisecting it. The border then crosses the water channel between Sebatik and the mainland and travels up along the median line of the Tambu and Sikapal channels until the hills which form the watershed between the Simengaris (in Indonesia) and Serudung (in Malaysia) rivers. The border travels generally northwestward towards the 4° 20'N, and then generally westwards but accommodating the watershed, although the Pensiangan, Agisan and Sibuda rivers are allowed to intersect the border. The border then follows the line of ridges along the watershed between major rivers following northwards into the South China Sea, and those flowing eastwards, southwards and westwards into the Celebes Sea, Java Sea and Karimata Straits until Tanjung Datu at 109° 38'.8 E 02° 05'.0 N in the western extremity of Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
. The watershed is however not followed in a short stretch southwest of Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
between Gunung Api at 110° 04'E and Gunung Raja at 109° 56'E where the border follows streams, paths, crests and straight lines which are marked by boundary markers and pillars.
On 26 November 1973, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Indonesia and Malaysia for the joint survey and demarcation of their common land border. Work began on 9 September 1975 and was completed in February 2000. As of 2006, a total of 19 memoranda of understanding with 28 maps had been signed between the two countries pertaining to the survey and demarcation of the border covering a distance of 1,822.3 km of the 2,019.5 km border.
Maritime boundaries
The maritime boundariesMaritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
between Indonesia and Malaysia are located four bodies of water, namely the Straits of Malacca, Straits of Singapore, South China Sea and Celebes Sea. The territorial seas of both countries (both claim a 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) territorial sea) only meet in the Straits of Malacca and Straits of Singapore. Territorial sea boundaries also exist at the continuation of both ends of the land boundary between the two countries in Borneo. Only continental shelf boundaries have been agreed to in the South China Sea while the continental shelf boundary in the Celebes Sea has not been determined at all.
Straits of Malacca and Straits of Singapore
Continental shelf and territorial sea agreementsThe continental shelf and territorial sea boundaries generally runs along the median line between the baselines of the two countries. Indonesia and Malaysia both agreed to a continental shelf boundary in 1969 (signed on 27 October 1969) and a territorial sea boundary in 1970 (signed on 17 March 1970). The two countries together with Thailand
Malaysia-Thailand border
The Malaysia-Thailand border consists of both a land boundary across the Malay Peninsula and maritime boundaries in the Straits of Malacca and the Gulf of Thailand/South China Sea. Malaysia lies to the south of the border while Thailand lies to the north...
entered to an agreement on 21 December 1971 established a common maritime tripoint as well as extended the continental shelf boundary between Indonesia and Malaysia from the northern terminus defined in the 1969 agreement to meet the tripoint in a straight line (see table below).
Both the continental shelf boundary and territorial sea boundary generally follow the equidistant line between the baseline
Baseline
A baseline is a line that is a base for measurement or for construction; see datum or point of reference .The word baseline may refer to:...
s of the two countries. The continental shelf and territorial sea boundaries are generally one and the same line with the same turning points except for one turning point of the territorial sea boundary known as "Turning Point 6" which does not apply to Malaysia, with the Malaysian territorial sea boundary running directly from Turning Point 5 to Turning Point 7, which coincides with the continental shelf boundary as defined by the 1969 apgreement. This phenomenon creates a small triangle of sea in the southern part of the Straits of Malacca which forms part of the Indonesian continental shelf but not part of the country's territorial sea.
Malaysia's 1979 map
The continental shelf and territorial sea boundaries beyond the southern terminus of the 1969 and 1970 agreements have not been agreed to. The 1979 territorial sea and continental shelf map published by Malaysia shows a unilaterally drawn continental shelf/territorial sea boundary connecting the southern terminus of the 1969 continental shelf and 1970 territorial sea agreement between Indonesia and Malaysia with the Malaysia-Singapore border
Malaysia-Singapore Border
The Malaysia–Singapore border is an international maritime border between the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, which lies to the north of the border, and Singapore to the south...
at the western entrance of the Straits of Johor
Straits of Johor
The Straits of Johor is a strait that separates the Malaysian state of Johor to the north from Singapore to the south....
. The boundary's southern-most turning point, namely Point 17, is inside Indonesia's baseline in the Riau Islands, giving the impression that Malaysia is claiming a slice of Indonesia's internal waters as part of its territorial sea. The boundaries on the 1979 map are not recognised by Indonesia nor Singapore.
The map also does not show the western Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore tripoint, which should be located in this area. Indonesia and Singapore signed an agreement in 2009, extending their defined common boundary
Indonesia-Singapore border
The Indonesia–Singapore border is a maritime boundary in the Straits of Singapore between Indonesia's Riau Islands which lie to the south of the border, and the islands of Singapore which lie to the north...
to a point where the two countries claim was as far westwards as they could go bilaterally. Tri-lateral negotiations would be necessary to define the tri-point and close the undefined boundary gaps.
| Point | Longtitude | Latitutde | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand common point | ||||
| CP | 98° 01.5' | 5° 57.0' | The 1971 agreement establishing the common point also extends the boundary from Point 1 of the continental shelf boundary to the Common Point. | |
| Continental shelf border end and turning point coordinates | ||||
| 1 | 98° 17.5' | 5° 27.0' | ||
| 2 | 98° 41.5' | 4° 55.7' | ||
| 3 | 99° 43.6' | 3° 59.6' | ||
| 4 | 99° 55.0' | 3° 47.4' | ||
| 5 | 101° 12.1' | 2° 41.5' | ||
| 6 | 101° 46.5' | 2° 15.4' | ||
| 7 | 102° 13.4' | 1° 55.2' | ||
| 8 | 102° 35.0' | 1° 41.2' | ||
| 9 | 103° 3.9' | 1° 19.5' | ||
| 10 | 103° 22.8' | 1° 15.0' | ||
| Territorial sea border end and turning point coordinates | ||||
| 1 | 101° 00.2' | 2° 51.6' | This point is located along the continental shelf boundary between Point 4 and 5. | |
| 2 | 101° 12.1' | 2° 41.5' | Same as Point 5 of the continental shelf boundary | |
| 3 | 101° 46.5 | 2° 15.4' | Same as Point 6 of the continental shelf boundary | |
| 4 | 102° 13.4' | 1° 55.2' | Same as Point 7 of the continental shelf boundary | |
| 5 | 102° 35.0' | 1° 41.2' | Same as Point 8 of the continental shelf boundary | |
| 6 | 103° 2.1' | 1° 19.1' | This point does not apply to Malaysia | |
| 7 | 103° 3.9' | 1° 19.5' | Same as Point 9 of the continental shelf boundary | |
| 8 | 103° 22.8' | 1° 15.0' | Same as Point 10 of the continental shelf boundary | |
| Turning points along the continuation of Malaysia's maritime border as in its 1979 map | ||||
| 15 | 103° 22'.8 | 1° 15'.0 | Same as Point 10 of the continental shelf boundary and Point 8 of the territorial sea boundary | |
| 16 | 103° 26'.8 | 1° 13'.45 | ||
| 17 | 103° 32'.5 | 1° 1'.45 | ||
| 18 | 103° 34'.2 | 1° 11'.0 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 19 | 103° 34'.95 | 1° 15'.15 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 20 | 103° 37'.38 | 1° 16'.37 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 21 | 103° 24'.1 | 1° 15'.85 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
South China Sea and Straits of Singapore (Eastern portion)
Continental shelf agreementOnly the continental shelf boundary has been determined between the two countries for this segment of their maritime border. The border follows the equidistant line between the baselines of Indonesia and Malaysia and Point 20 is the equidistant point between Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam (see table below). Point 20 is the western terminus of the Indonesia-Vietnam continental shelf boundary
Indonesia-Vietnam border
The border between Indonesia and Vietnam is a maritime border located in the South China Sea to the north of Indonesia's Natuna Islands. The two countries signed an agreement to determine their continental shelf boundary on 26 June 2003 in Hanoi, Vietnam....
which the two countries agreed to in 2003 and the eastern-most point of the area of overlapping claims
Malaysia-Vietnam border
Malaysia and Vietnam are two South-east Asian countries with maritime boundaries which meet in the Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea. The two countries have overlapping claims over the continental shelf in the Gulf of Thailand...
between Malaysia and Vietnam.
The southern termninus of the continental shelf boundary lies to the east of Pedra Branca which was disputed between Malaysia and Singapore and eventually awarded to Singapore by an International Court of Justice ruling.
Malaysia's 1979 map
No maritime border agreement covers the continuation of the border from the southern terminus of the continental shelf boundary to the meeting point of the territorial water of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore which should lie in the area. Malaysia and Singapore have also yet to determine their mutual border from the eastern terminus of the Malaysia-Singapore border
Malaysia-Singapore Border
The Malaysia–Singapore border is an international maritime border between the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, which lies to the north of the border, and Singapore to the south...
which was as determined in the 1995 Malaysia-Singapore border
Malaysia-Singapore Border
The Malaysia–Singapore border is an international maritime border between the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, which lies to the north of the border, and Singapore to the south...
agreement to the tripoint.
Malaysia's 1979 continental shelf and territorial sea map unilaterally connects the southern terminus of the Indonesia-Malaysia continental shelf boundary with the Malaysia-Singapore border
Malaysia-Singapore Border
The Malaysia–Singapore border is an international maritime border between the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, which lies to the north of the border, and Singapore to the south...
at the eastern entrance of the Straits of Johor
Straits of Johor
The Straits of Johor is a strait that separates the Malaysian state of Johor to the north from Singapore to the south....
. The coordinates of the unilateral boundary in the chart below. The map places Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge inside Malaysia's territorial sea. Both Indonesia and Singapore do not recognise the borders drawn in the 1979 map.
The 2008 International Court of Justice decision on the sovereignty of Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge should enable the maritime borders between the three countries in this stretch of waters to be determined. Revision to the 1979 map will be needed with the awarding of Pedra Branca to Singapore and Middle Rocks to Malaysia by the ICJ. The sovereignty of South Ledge, which is submerged during high tide, will be determined later through the determination of territorial waters in which it is situated. While South Ledge lies closest to Middle Rocks and then Pedra Branca, the nearest shore to the marine feature is actually the northern shore of Indonesia's Bintan island.
Singapore has indicated that its border with Indonesia
Indonesia-Singapore border
The Indonesia–Singapore border is a maritime boundary in the Straits of Singapore between Indonesia's Riau Islands which lie to the south of the border, and the islands of Singapore which lie to the north...
in this area will comprise of two stretches - one between the main Singapore island and Indonesia's Batam island, and the other between Singapore's Pedra Branca
Pedra Branca
Pedra Branca is an outlying island and also the easternmost point of Singapore. The name means "white rock" in Portuguese, and refers to whitish guano deposited on the rock. The island consists of a small outcrop of granite rocks with an area of about...
and Indonesia's Bintan Island. A stretch of the Indonesia–Malaysia border will run in between. This will effectively establish three Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore tripoints in the area. The determination of boundaries to fill the various gaps and defining the various tripoints would require Indonesia-Malaysia-Singape trilateral negotiations.
| Point | Longtitude (E) | Latitude (N) | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental shelf boundary end and turning point coordinates | ||||
| 11 | 104° 29'.5 | 1° 23'.9 | ||
| 12 | 104° 53' | 1° 38' | ||
| 13 | 105° 5'.2 | 1° 54'.4 | ||
| 14 | 105° 1'.2 | 2° 22'.5 | ||
| 15 | 104° 51'.5 | 2° 22'.5 | ||
| 16 | 104° 46'.5 | 3° 50'.1 | ||
| 17 | 104° 51'.9 | 4° 3' | ||
| 18 | 105° 28'.8 | 5° 4'.7 | ||
| 19 | 105° 47'.1 | 5° 40'.6 | ||
| 20 | 105° 49'.2 | 6° 5'.8 | This point is also the western terminus of the Indonesia-Vietnam continental shelf boundary Indonesia-Vietnam border The border between Indonesia and Vietnam is a maritime border located in the South China Sea to the north of Indonesia's Natuna Islands. The two countries signed an agreement to determine their continental shelf boundary on 26 June 2003 in Hanoi, Vietnam.... ; the eastern-most point of the area of Malaysia-Vietnam Malaysia-Vietnam border Malaysia and Vietnam are two South-east Asian countries with maritime boundaries which meet in the Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea. The two countries have overlapping claims over the continental shelf in the Gulf of Thailand... overlapping claims. |
|
| Turning point coordinates along the continuation of Malaysia's maritime border as in its 1979 map | ||||
| 22 | 104° 7'.5 | 1° 17'.63 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border Malaysia-Singapore Border The Malaysia–Singapore border is an international maritime border between the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, which lies to the north of the border, and Singapore to the south... |
|
| 23 | 104° 2'.5 | 1° 17'.42 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 24 | 104° 4'.6 | 1° 17'.3 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 25 | 104° 7'.1 | 1° 16'.2 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 26 | 104° 7'.42 | 1° 15'.65 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 27 | 104° 12'.67 | 1° 13'.65 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 28 | 104° 16'.15 | 1° 16'.2 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 29 | 104° 19'.8 | 1° 16'.5 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 30 | 104° 29'.45 | 1° 15'.55 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 31 | 104° 29'.33 | 1° 16'.95 | This turning point may form part of the Malaysia-Singapore border | |
| 32 | 104° 29'.5 | 1° 23'.9 | This point is the same as Point 11 (southern terminus) of the 1969 Indonesia-Malaysia continental shelf boundary | |
South China Sea (Off the western extremity of Sarawak)
Again, the only a continental shelf boundary has been agreed to in the sigment of the maritime border between the two countries. The maritime border is a continuation of the land boundary from Tanjung Datu at the western extremity of the Malaysia state of SarawakSarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, known as "Point 21" with coordinates 109° 38'.8E 02° 05'.0N. From this point, the border proceeds in a general northerly direction to "Point 25" 109° 38'.6E 06° 18'.2N which is at the 100 fathom point or the edge of the continental shelf.
Point 25 is also the eastern terminus of the Indonesia-Vietnam continental shelf boundary
Indonesia-Vietnam border
The border between Indonesia and Vietnam is a maritime border located in the South China Sea to the north of Indonesia's Natuna Islands. The two countries signed an agreement to determine their continental shelf boundary on 26 June 2003 in Hanoi, Vietnam....
which was agreed to by the two countries in 2003, making it the common tripoint of Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. This is also the western terminus of the Malysian continental shelf boundary in South China Sea as asserted in the country's 1979 territorial sea and continental shelf boundary map. The boundary is however not recognised by any other country.
| Point | Longtitude (E) | Latitude (N) | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental shelf boundary end and turning point coordinates | ||||
| 21 | 109° 38'.8' | 2° 5' | ||
| 22 | 109° 54'.5 | 3° 0' | ||
| 23 | 110° 2'.0 | 4° 40'.0 | ||
| 24 | 109° 59'.0 | 5° 31'.2 | ||
| 25 | 109° 38'.6 | 6° 18'.2 | This is also the eastern terminus of the Indonesia-Vietnam continental shelf boundary Indonesia-Vietnam border The border between Indonesia and Vietnam is a maritime border located in the South China Sea to the north of Indonesia's Natuna Islands. The two countries signed an agreement to determine their continental shelf boundary on 26 June 2003 in Hanoi, Vietnam.... agreed to in 2003; western terminus of Malaysia's continental shelf boundary (South China Sea segment off the coast of Borneo) as in its 1979 map |
|
Celebes Sea
There is no agreement over the maritime boundary in this segment. The 1979 continental shelf and territorial sea map by Malaysia depicts Malaysia's territorial sea and continental shelf border running southeast from the easternmost point of the land boundary between the two countries at 4° 10' North. Indonesia does not recognise the borders of the map and claims part of the continental shelf, calling it AmbalatAmbalat
Ambalat is a sea block in the Celebes sea which is currently in part of Indonesia sovereignty. Ambalat sea block is located off the coast of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Malaysia refers to part of the Ambalat block as Block ND6 and part...
(see below).
The map also puts the islands of Sipadan
Sipadan
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia . It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop...
and Ligitan within Malaysian territorial waters. Indonesia initially rejected the assertion that the islands belonged to Malaysia and both countries brought the dispute to the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
. In 2002, the court decided that the sovereignty of the two islands belonged to Malaysia. The court however did not determine the maritime boundary in the surrounding waters and specifically decided that the 4° 10' North parallel which marked the easternmost portion of the Indonesia-Malaysia land border in Sebatik island did not extend to sea to form either the territorial sea or continental shelf border.
| Point | Longtitude (E) | Latitude (N) | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia's continental shelf claim according to the 1979 map | ||||
| 76 | 120° 00' | 4° 23' | This point is deemed to be the tri-point of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines | |
| 77 | 120° 15'.75 | 3° 02'.75 | ||
| 78 | 119° 53' | 3° 01'.5 | ||
| 79 | 118° 57'.5 | 3° 06' | ||
| 80 | 118° 46'.17 | 3° 08'.67 | ||
| 81 | 118° 22' | 3° 39' | ||
| 82 | 118° 01'.1 | 4° 03'.65 | ||
| 83 | 117° 56'.95 | 4° 08' | ||
| 84 | 117° 53'.97 | 4° 10' | This point is on the eastern terminus of the land boundary | |
History
The birth of the Indonesia–Malaysia border, or at least the portion for what is today Peninsula Malaysia, can be attributed to the 1824 treaty between Great Britain and the NetherlandsAnglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814...
which was signed in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty determined the spheres of influence in the Malay archipelago between the two colonial powers - Great Britain and the Netherlands. Great Britain was allowed to establish colonies to the north of the Straits of Malacca and Straits of Singapore while the Dutch were allowed to colonise areas to the south of the bodies of water. This line of separation between the spheres of influence became the basis of the border between British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies and ultimately, their successor states Malaysia and Indonesia.
On Borneo, the expansion of British and Dutch interests and influence over local sultanates and kingdoms occurred gradually throughout the 19th century. The northern shore of Borneo saw the British adventurer James Brooke
James Brooke
James, Rajah of Sarawak, KCB was the first White Rajah of Sarawak. His father, Thomas Brooke, was an English Judge Court of Appeal at Bareilly, British India; his mother, Anna Maria, born in Hertfordshire, was the illegitimate daughter of Scottish peer Colonel William Stuart, 9th Lord Blantyre,...
become the Rajah of Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
in 1842 and gradually expanded his kingdom to its present shape and size in 1905. The Sultan of Brunei's territories in today's Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
were initially leased to Austrian interests, which ultimately fell into the hands of the British, which later formed the British North Borneo Company
British North Borneo Company
The North Borneo Chartered Company or British North Borneo Company was a chartered company assigned to administer North Borneo in August 1881. North Borneo became a protectorate of the British Empire with internal affairs administered by the company until 1946 when it became the colony of British...
. The Sultan of Sulu also leased its territories on the east coast of today's Sabah to the British in 1878. In the southern part of Borneo, the Dutch were negotiating treaties with various sultanates, allowing it to be the dominant colonial power in that portion of the island. In 1889, as the acquired territories of the two powers started to get closer, a commission was created to recommend a boundary. The recommendations were legalised in the Boundary Convention of 1891 which was signed in London on 20 June 1891. The boundary was updated in the Boundary Agreement of 1915 which was signed in London on 28 September 1915, and again in another Boundary Convention which was signed in The Hague, the Netherlands, on 26 March 1928.
Disputes
The main territorial disputes between Indonesia and Malaysia have occurred in the Celebes Sea. Both countries previously claimed sovereignty over the SipadanSipadan
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia . It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop...
and Ligitan
Ligitan
Ligitan is a small island in Tawau, Sabah, located east of the island of Borneo, in the Celebes Sea. In the past, the island was at the centre of a territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia...
islands. The dispute over the Ambalat
Ambalat
Ambalat is a sea block in the Celebes sea which is currently in part of Indonesia sovereignty. Ambalat sea block is located off the coast of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Malaysia refers to part of the Ambalat block as Block ND6 and part...
block of the Celebes Sea seabed, believed to be rich in mineral resources, continues.
Sipadan and Ligitan
SipadanSipadan
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia . It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop...
and Ligitan
Ligitan
Ligitan is a small island in Tawau, Sabah, located east of the island of Borneo, in the Celebes Sea. In the past, the island was at the centre of a territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia...
are two small islands just off the east coast of Borneo which were claimed by Indonesia and Malaysia. The dispute originated in 1969 when the two countries negotiated to delimit the common border of their continental shelf. As the two countries could not agree on the soveignty of the two islands, the continental shelf border was left off the 1969 agreement between the to countries.
Indonesia claimed that the islands were theirs by virtue of the fact that they were located south of 4° 10" North which it said formed the maritime border between it and Malaysia by virtue of a straight line extension of the land border which ended on the east coast Sebatik island. Malaysia however, claimed a stretch of territorial waters and the continental shelf south of the latitude which included the two islands. The claim was confirmed through its map which it published in 1979. Indonesia protested the delimitation on the map.
The dispute was brought before the International Court of Justice and on 17 December 2002, decided that sovereignty of Sipadan and Ligitan belonged to Malaysia on the basis of effectivités. It however did not decide on the question of territorial waters and maritime borders. This allowed the dispute over territorial waters and continental shelf to remain unresolved. The dispute over the Ambalat
Ambalat
Ambalat is a sea block in the Celebes sea which is currently in part of Indonesia sovereignty. Ambalat sea block is located off the coast of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Malaysia refers to part of the Ambalat block as Block ND6 and part...
block (see below) can be seen to be part of this dispute over territorial waters and continental shelf.
See their respective pages for more on Sipadan
Sipadan
Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, East Malaysia . It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop...
and Ligitan
Ligitan
Ligitan is a small island in Tawau, Sabah, located east of the island of Borneo, in the Celebes Sea. In the past, the island was at the centre of a territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia...
.
Ambalat
AmbalatAmbalat
Ambalat is a sea block in the Celebes sea which is currently in part of Indonesia sovereignty. Ambalat sea block is located off the coast of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Malaysia refers to part of the Ambalat block as Block ND6 and part...
is an area of the seabed or continental shelf in the Celebes Sea
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia...
off the east coast of Borneo which is claimed by Indonesia and Malaysia. The seabed is believed to be rich in crude oil. Contrary to popular belief, the International Court of Justice decision over the sovereignty of Sipadan and Ligitan did not solve the dispute over Ambalat as it did not include issues concerning the demarcation of the territorial sea and continental shelf boundaries of the two countries in the area.
The dispute started with Malaysia issuing a map in 1979 of its territorial sea and continental shelf which included the Ambalat block. The map rew Malaysia's maritime boundary in a southeast direction into the Celebes Sea after it leaves the eastmost point on land on Sebatik island. This would include the Ambalat block, or a large part of it, within the Malaysian continental shelf. Indonesia has, like the other neighbours of Malaysia, objected to the map. Indonesia has never officially announced the exact locations of its maritime boundaries but claimed during its arguments in the Sipadan Case that it continued in a straight line along the 4° 10' North latitude after it leaves Sebatik.
Both countries have also awarded exploration contracts to oil companies for the area. Indonesia has awarded concessions to ENI of Italy for what it called the Ambalat Block in 1999 and US company Unocal for East Ambalat in 2004. Petronas, the Malaysian petroleum company, meanwhile awarded a concession over what Malaysia called Block ND 6 and ND 7 in February 2005. A large part of Ambalat overlaps with Block ND 6 while a huge portion of East Ambalat overlaps with Block ND 7.
The dispute has created considerable tension between the two countries, with several facing-off incidents between the navy ships of both countries. The latest round of tension occurred at the end of May 2009 when Indonesian media reports stated that Indonesian navy ships were close to firing shots at a Malaysian navy vessel which it claimed had encroached deep into Indonesian territorial waters.
Negotiations are currently on-going to resolve the dispute, although media reports say no talks have been held since April 2008.
For more details on the dispute, see the Ambalat
Ambalat
Ambalat is a sea block in the Celebes sea which is currently in part of Indonesia sovereignty. Ambalat sea block is located off the coast of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan and south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah. Malaysia refers to part of the Ambalat block as Block ND6 and part...
page.
Tanjung Berakit maritime officers arrest
On 13 August 2010, three Indonesian maritime officers were arrested and detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in what Indonesia claimed were Indonesian territorial waters off Tanjung Berakit in the Indonesian island of BintanBintan
Bintan Island or Negeri Segantang Lada is an island in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia. It is part of the Riau Islands province, the capital of which, Tanjung Pinang, lies in the island's south and is the island's main community....
while Malaysia claimed that based on GPS reading, they were watters of Kota Tinggi in Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
. The three were part of a team of five officers whose vessel (with non functioning GPS) confronted five Malaysian fishing boats fishing in the area. The three boarded one of the Malaysian fishing boats and were then arrested by the Malaysian authorities. Their two colleagues boarded another fishing vessel and arrested seven fishermen and detained them. It was reported that the Malaysian authorties fired some warning shots during the incident. All detainees were released by 17 August 2010 but the incident unleashed a wave of anti-Malaysia sentiments in Indonesia.
Both Indonesia and Malaysia agreed that the maritime border between the two countries in the area has not been determined. Indonesia claimed that it was ready to begin negotiations to determine the border but said that the Malaysians, which relies on its 1979 territorial waters and continental shelf limit map as the basis for its claim in the area, were not ready as they wanted to settle its maritime border with Singapore adjacent to the area first following the International Court of Justice's award of the sovereignty of Pedra Branca
Pedra Branca
Pedra Branca is an outlying island and also the easternmost point of Singapore. The name means "white rock" in Portuguese, and refers to whitish guano deposited on the rock. The island consists of a small outcrop of granite rocks with an area of about...
to Singapore.
Land crossings
There is only one official land border crossing, namely between the Malaysian town of Tebedu in SarawakSarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
and Entikong in West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is one of four Indonesian provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital city Pontianak is located right on the Equator....
. The crossing is along the main route between Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
, the capital of Sarawak, and Pontianak
Pontianak, Indonesia
Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan. It is a medium-size industrial city on the island of Borneo. Pontianak occupies an area of 107.82 km² in the delta of the Kapuas River...
, the capital of West Kalimantan.
There are numerous other informal crossings between Indonesia and Malaysia along the length of the land border, such as in Serikin near Kuching, Bario in the Kelabit Highlands and Sapulut in the interior of Sabah. These are mostly used by the local population and a certain amount of cross-border trading and smuggling goes on at these and other illegal crossings. Illegal immigrants are also known to use such crossings.
Sea crossings
There are numerous scheduled sea crossings between Indonesia and Malaysia, mostly between ports in the former's island of SumatraSumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
and Peninsula Malaysia. Here is a list of ports (Indonesian port followed by the Malaysian port) where scheduled boat services operate as of April 2008:
Sumatra-Peninsula Malaysia
- BatamBatamBatam is an island and city in Riau Islands Province of Indonesia, known for its free trade zone area as part of the Sijori Growth Triangle, is located off Singapore's south coast...
- Johor BahruJohor BahruJohor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland... - BelawanBelawanBelawan is a port city on the northeast coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Located on the Deli River near the city of Medan, Belawan is Indonesia's busiest port outside of Java....
(near MedanMedan- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
) - PenangPenangPenang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the... - BengkalisBengkalisBengkalis Regency is a regency of Indonesia in the Riau province. The regency, which comprises the whole Bengkalis island in the Strait of Malacca, has been established since 1956...
- MalaccaMalaccaMalacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south... - BengkalisBengkalisBengkalis Regency is a regency of Indonesia in the Riau province. The regency, which comprises the whole Bengkalis island in the Strait of Malacca, has been established since 1956...
- MuarMuar (town)Muar, also known as Bandar Maharani is a town geopolitically situated in Muar District in the region or area of Muar in northwestern Johor, Malaysia... - DumaiDumaiDumai is a city in Riau province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The city has an area of 1727 km² and has 174,465 inhabitants . Dumai is an important transport and trade centre, both regionally and international ....
- MalaccaMalaccaMalacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south... - DumaiDumaiDumai is a city in Riau province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The city has an area of 1727 km² and has 174,465 inhabitants . Dumai is an important transport and trade centre, both regionally and international ....
- MuarMuar (town)Muar, also known as Bandar Maharani is a town geopolitically situated in Muar District in the region or area of Muar in northwestern Johor, Malaysia... - DumaiDumaiDumai is a city in Riau province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The city has an area of 1727 km² and has 174,465 inhabitants . Dumai is an important transport and trade centre, both regionally and international ....
- Port KlangPort KlangPort Klang is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Colonially known as Port Swettenham, it is also the location of the largest and busiest port in the country. As such, its economic progress has been greatly influenced by the port activities in its area... - DumaiDumaiDumai is a city in Riau province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The city has an area of 1727 km² and has 174,465 inhabitants . Dumai is an important transport and trade centre, both regionally and international ....
- Port DicksonPort DicksonPort Dickson or PD to locals is a beach and holiday destination situated about 32 km from Seremban and 90 km from Kuala Lumpur. It is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia... - Tanjung Balai Asahan - Port KlangPort KlangPort Klang is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Colonially known as Port Swettenham, it is also the location of the largest and busiest port in the country. As such, its economic progress has been greatly influenced by the port activities in its area...
- Selat PanjangSelat PanjangSelat Panjang is the capital of Kepulauan Meranti Regency, which is part of the province of Riau in Indonesia. Meranti Archipelago Regency is a new regency in Riau province which was established in 2009 and it has been separated from Bengkalis Regency.Tebing Tinggi island is separated by a narrow...
- Batu PahatBatu PahatBatu Pahat is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies south-east of Muar, south-west of Kluang, north-west of Pontian, and south of Segamat and the new Ledang district. The capital of the district is Bandar Penggaram, Batu Pahat.... - Tanjung Balai KarimunTanjung Balai KarimunSee Tanjung Balai for its many meaningsTanjung Balai, Karimun or simply Tanjung Balai or Tg. Balai is the main town in Karimun island of Riau Islands province....
- KukupKukupKukup is a small fishing village located about forty kilometres southwest of Johor Bahru, in the district of Pontian, Johor, on the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia. It is famous for its open-air seafood restaurants built on stilts over the water. Some of the restaurants are geared for tour groups,... - Tanjung PinangTanjung PinangTanjung Pinang or Tanjungpinang is the capital and second largest city of the Indonesian province of Riau Islands after Batam. A city with about 200,000 residents) it is a trading port between islands in the Riau archipelago...
, BintanBintanBintan Island or Negeri Segantang Lada is an island in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia. It is part of the Riau Islands province, the capital of which, Tanjung Pinang, lies in the island's south and is the island's main community....
- Johor BahruJohor BahruJohor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland... - BelawanBelawanBelawan is a port city on the northeast coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Located on the Deli River near the city of Medan, Belawan is Indonesia's busiest port outside of Java....
- LumutLumutLumut is a coastal town in the state of Perak, Malaysia, situated about 84 km from Ipoh, 12 km from the town of Sitiawan and it is the gateway to Pangkor Island. It is a quaint little town famous for its beautiful seashell and coral handicrafts...
East Kalimantan-Sabah
- NunukanNunukanNunukan is a regency of East Kalimantan in Indonesia.Nunukan is also the name of an island within this regency. It has an area of 226 km2. Nunukan borders with the Malaysian state of Sabah to the north, and Bulungan Regency and Malinau Regency to the south....
- TawauTawauTawau is the administrative center of Tawau Division, Malaysia and the third largest town of Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.-Geography:... - TarakanTarakan, East KalimantanTarakan, located on Tarakan Island is one of the major cities in eastern Borneo, just across the border from Sabah, Malaysia. Once a major oil producing region during colonial period, Tarakan had great strategic importance during the Pacific War and was among the first Japanese targets early in the...
- TawauTawauTawau is the administrative center of Tawau Division, Malaysia and the third largest town of Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.-Geography:...
See also
- Brunei–Malaysia border
- Indonesia–Singapore border
- Indonesia–Thailand border
- Malaysia–Singapore border
- Malaysia–Thailand border
- Malaysia–Vietnam border
- Malaysia–Philippines border