Demonstrations continue at Jakarta embassy
(Bernama) — The Malaysian embassy in Jakarta continued to become a target for demonstrations since yesterday when another group known as Laskar Merah Putih (LMP) staged a demonstration claiming Malaysia had illegally taken over more than 1,000ha of Indonesian land in northern Kalimantan.
About 70 LMP members who gathered with banners and hurled abusive slogans outside the embassy had tried to affix a flag on the gate but were prevented by police.
Before leaving the leader of the group Adek Erfil Manurung handed a note to a security personnel on duty at the gate and announced that there would be a bigger demonstration on Oct 28.
They also wanted the Malaysian government to resolve the border issue between both countries.
Yesterday, a group calling itself Forum Betawi Rempug (FBR) numbering some 650 people hurled hard objects at the guard post and perimeter lighting and also at the policemen, also on a similar claim.
The Indonesian Parliament’s defence and foreign affairs commission deputy head Maj Gen (Rtd) T.B. Hasanuddin had told the local media on Saturday that Indonesia had lost 1,490ha in Camar Bulan to Malaysia and that the country’s sea boundary in Tanjung Datu waters had moved 800m in favour of Kuala Lumpur.
However, several Indonesian Cabinet ministers had rejected the lawmaker’s claim that Malaysia had “illegally taken over” more than 1,000ha of Indonesian land in northern Kalimantan.
In Kuala Lumpur, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and his Indonesian counterpart Dr Marty Natalegawa said after the 11th Joint Commission for Bilateral Commission Cooperation Meeting on Tuesday that the border markers at the Kalimantan border, removed either by mischievous individuals or natural disasters, could easily be replaced by their joint survey teams.
The issue emanated over a claim that Malaysia has seized 1,000ha of land belonging to Indonesia along the Malaysia-Indonesia border in West Kalimantan.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had also said Malaysia and Indonesia had a special mechanism namely the Joint Border Committee (JBC) to resolve any border issues and added that it was doing a good job in resolving such issues when they cropped up.
