Sebatik Island Boundary Issue
In light of the ongoing public discourse surrounding the boundary issue of Sebatik Island, I wish to reiterate a fundamental principle: any matter involving the boundaries of Sabah’s land must never be confined to internal administrative decisions, nor should it bypass deliberation and debate in the State Legislative Assembly.
While it is acknowledged that boundary negotiations typically involve federal authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia, as well as the Chief Minister’s Department and relevant land agencies at the state level, this does not justify decisions being made without proper legislative oversight.
Pursuant to the principles established under the Sabah Land Ordinance, land matters fall within the jurisdiction of the state. Any issue involving boundary adjustments, changes in administrative areas, or questions of sovereignty and jurisdiction goes beyond routine administrative execution and must be treated as a significant policy and legal matter.
More importantly, if there are indeed any changes to Sabah’s land area—whether a reduction of 123 hectares or an increase of 780 hectares—such matters must be handled in accordance with the law and proper procedures, with full accountability to the state. It must also be clearly stated that land changes are not to be simplistically measured in terms of numerical gain or loss. Any claim of “gaining 780 hectares” does not equate to a definitive gain in sovereignty.
Therefore, I wish to stress that the State Legislative Assembly is not merely a law-making body, but the primary platform for public accountability. Bypassing the Assembly effectively denies the people’s right to know, weakens institutional checks and balances, and undermines transparency in matters of sovereignty and land.
I reiterate that any adjustment involving Sabah’s land boundaries must be brought before the State Legislative Assembly for full debate and official record, in line with democratic principles and the rule of law.
Accordingly, I call upon the relevant authorities to:
1. Cease misleading the public with partial or selective data;
2. Disclose all relevant negotiation and survey information;
3. Table this matter before the State Legislative Assembly without delay, to enable proper deliberation and oversight by all elected representatives.
The land rights of Sabah must not be trivialised, nor decided without transparency and accountability.
Tham Yun Fook
N19 Likas State Assemblyman
