KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 4): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the determination of the Malaysia-Indonesia land border involving Sabah and Kalimantan is not based on compensation, reciprocity or profit-and-loss considerations, as claimed by some parties. Anwar said the core principle in the agreements stipulates that territorial determination is based on the location of the estuaries of Sungai Sinapad and Sungai Sesai along latitude four degrees 20 minutes (4°20’) north. Areas north of latitude 4°20’ north fall under British North Borneo (Sabah), while areas south of the same latitude were under Dutch rule (Indonesia), he said. However, Anwar said joint field measurements later found that the actual estuary of Sungai Sinapad lies north of latitude 4°20’ north, contrary to what was indicated in the original map. “Based on these findings, Malaysia’s position is that all river basins that flow north of latitude 4°20’ north belong to Malaysia,” he said.

Source: The Edge Markets February 04, 2026 06:06 UTC