Jakarta. Indonesia on Monday dismissed reports that two villages on Sebatik Island had become part of Malaysia, saying the claims were based on a misunderstanding of a long-running border demarcation issue between the two neighboring countries.

Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian said misinformation circulating in recent weeks had created the false impression that Indonesia had lost sovereign territory, when in fact only a small portion of land in two border villages was affected by an agreed boundary settlement.

“Some reports said two villages had become part of Malaysia. That is simply not true,” Tito told lawmakers during a parliamentary hearing in Jakarta.

“The villages remain Indonesian. Only a small portion of land within those villages falls on the Malaysian side of the border, while Indonesia actually gained a much larger area in the overall boundary adjustment,” he said.

Tito, who also heads Indonesia's National Border Management Agency, said about 127 hectares of land are now located within Malaysian territory. However, Indonesia gained approximately 5,700 hectares elsewhere as part of the same border settlement.

“So the perception that Indonesia lost two villages is incorrect,” he said. “The villages remain intact. Only a limited area of land changed jurisdiction, and Indonesia received significantly more land in return.”

Sebatik Island, located in North Kalimantan's Nunukan Regency, is divided between Indonesia and the Malaysian state of Sabah. The island is one of the few places in Southeast Asia where an international border cuts directly through settled communities.

Tito noted that in one well-known example, a house on Sebatik has its living room in Indonesia while its family room and kitchen are located across the border in Malaysia.

Indonesia controls about 246 square kilometers in the southern part of the island, while Malaysia administers roughly 187 square kilometers in the north.

According to Tito, the border issue dates back to the colonial era, when Dutch and British administrations established territorial boundaries that later became the international border after Indonesia and Malaysia gained independence.

He said the governments of both countries continue to resolve outstanding boundary issues through coordination between relevant ministries and bilateral mechanisms aimed at providing greater legal certainty for residents living along the frontier.

Add as a preferred source on Google +