Ties between Indonesian, Malaysian navies remain good: naval officer

Ties between the Indonesian and Malaysian navies remain good despite the two countries` dispute over the gas-and oil-rich Ambalat block off the East Kalimantan coast, an Indonesian naval officer said.

"Relations between the two countries` armed forces, the navies in particular, remain good," Chief of the Indonesian Navy`s Information Service Commodore Iskandar Sitompul said here on Wednesday.

By Tuesday morning, the security situation at Ambalat was still marked by high tension following a number of border violations by Malaysian warships, Commandant of Indonesian warship "KRI Untung Suropati", Major Salim, said.

Salim said the tension-filled security situation in Ambalat waters remained unchanged and naval units in the area were still on full alert.

He said Malaysian warships often trespassed Indonesian waters. Indonesian fishermen were often arrested and their fish catches seized.

On Sunday, Indonesia`s KRI Untung Surapati-872 warship managed to drive away a Malaysian warship, the KD Yu-3500, which had tried to trespass Indonesian waters in the Ambalat Block.

A day earlier, the Indonesian Navy`s KRI Hasanudin-366 also drove away KD Baung-3509, a helicopter of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, and a Malaysian Beachraft which tried to enter the Ambalat Block.

According to the TNI, nine territorial violations by Malaysian marine and police vessels had happened in the recent past.

Recently, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said negotiations between Indonesia and Malaysia on the status of the Ambalat block border were still going on, but no agreement had been reached.

Indonesia and Malaysia have 13 times held meetings to discuss their dispute over the Ambalat block.

At their last meeting on May 2008, Indonesia asked Malaysia to resume their talks on Ambalat.

But because of a change in the lineup of Malaysia`s negotiating team, the next meeting on Ambalat has not yet been decided.

"The last time Malaysia pledged to resume talks on Ambalat in July 2009," spokesman for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry Teuku Faizasyah said