Minister dismisses rumors of two Nunukan villages joining Malaysia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian firmly dismissed circulating rumors that two villages in Nunukan, North Kalimantan, have been absorbed into Malaysian territory.

Speaking before Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) at the Parliamentary Complex on Monday, Tito addressed public concerns over the border issue.

He clarified that the villages remain part of Indonesian territory. While a small portion of land was conceded to Malaysia, Indonesia actually gained a significantly larger area in return in a recent land-swap agreement.

"Sometimes it is said that two villages have been part of Malaysia. That is not the case," Tito remarked.

Tito, who also serves as the Head of the National Border Management Agency (BNPP), explained that the territorial boundaries on Sebatik Island have been a complex legacy issue dating back to colonial-era friction between the Dutch and the British.

While some 127.3 hectares of land across the two villages did fall under Malaysian control, Indonesia received a much larger territorial compensation, according to him.

"We actually benefited. While those 127 hectares across two villages consequently fall under Malaysian control, we received a massive compensation of 5,700 hectares on the Indonesian side," Tito explained.

The resolution is the result of coordinated efforts by the BNPP alongside the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and other key state institutions.

Despite the land resolution, Tito emphasized the necessity of constructing new integrated cross-border posts (PLBN) to reinforce Indonesian sovereignty along its frontiers.

To date, the government has constructed 15 PLBNs, though several strategic points still require fortification.

"We still need more on the borders of West Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan; there is one point bordering Sarawak, and there are more in North Kalimantan," Tito concluded.

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Translator: Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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