PROPOSAL TO CLOSE OFF AMBALAT WATERS TO AVOID TENSION

KUALA TERENGGANU (Malaysia), June 8 (Bernama)-- The Defence Ministry will propose to the Malaysian and Indonesian governments to close off the waters around Ambalat near Sabah to patrol boats from both countries until the overlapping claims on the waters have been resolved.

Its minister, Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said as the issue involved a claim of
sovereignty by both governments, the proposal was seen to be appropriate to
avoid more controversy.

"If we were to carry out patrols in the area, we will be accused of
trespassing and the same accusation will also be made if the Indonesians were to
conduct their own patrol.

"So, it's better that both countries concerned do not carry out patrols
until the issue over the overlapping claims has been resolved," he told
reporters after opening a seminar, here Sunday.

Ahmad Zahid said this when commenting on the Indonesian media report that
claimed that Malaysian warships were encroaching into the waters recently.

He said the Malaysian government too had detected that Indonesian warships
had encroached into Malaysian waters on 13 occasions but the government was not
making it into an issue as it did not want to cause tension.
-- BERNAMA