KUALA LUMPUR, 19 March 2009: The re-demarcation of the Malaysia-Brunei border will be carried out to resolve various border issues including that of Limbang, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim said today.
He said the issue of Limbang would be regarded as resolved once the exchange of border agreements signed by both countries was finalised.
Rais made these comments in response to an article in The Borneo Bulletin and the Brunei Times on the status of Limbang.
He said Limbang was not mentioned in recent discussions on land boundaries between both countries but the general view was that when the five existing historical agreements between both sides were signed and implemented in future, then all border issues would have been resolved.
“We cannot dispute what they (Brunei) perceive but for us we will acknowledge the exchange of the documents in accordance with the contents, we will respect and we will follow up on the five agreements which have been signed between 1920 and 1939,” he said.
“(The word) Limbang was not mentioned in the documents. It was the perception that when the matter of the five agreements is resolved, the issue of Limbang will also be resolved … there has been several interpretations.
“… what is important is that Malaysia-Brunei relations are close and we are not influenced by any political statement made by both sides,” he told reporters after officiating at the presentation of cheques to non-governmental organisations for the Palestinian People’s Humanitarian Assistance Programme, here.
Rais earlier opened a two-day course on basic security training for Malaysian taskforce personnel in conflict zones.
Also present at the event was Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the deputy prime minister, who presented donations of RM11 million from the Malaysian people to 13 non-governmental organisations for the humanitarian assistance programme. — Bernama
