Is Maritime District 14 a Malaysian maritime territory?

Kota Kinabalu, June 11, 2010: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Supreme Councillor Dullie Marie today said the Sabah Ministers are completely silent on the Blocks L and M issue.

"There are seven members of the cabinet who are lawyers and none offered to explain while the Chief Minister just shrugged off this important issue without explaining or shed some light.

"Who is this PBS Information Chief to speak on behalf of the government and claiming to know about maritime law?" question Dullie.

"Sabah Ministers at the federal level like Dr Maximus, who is Minister of Science and Technology can come out to defend the surrendering of Blocks L and M, if there is any defence at all.

"You are telling us that these Blocks L and M belong to Brunei and how about the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) jurisdiction over Maritime District 14 also known as 'DM14' and is it not part of the Malaysian maritime territory?

“The statement made by our Foreign Affairs Minister that the rightful owner of these Blocks based on “a gesture of friendship, not so much on dollars and cents”, surrendered these Blocks L and M, containing rich natural resources.

“Ironically, a fight up to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over Batu Putih island, which has no commercial or economic value.

On the RM500 million Bond

Dullie, who is also SAPP CLC Chairman for Petagas, questioned why the State Government and Sabah Development Bank never bother to explain the loan of RM601 million to a KL company to invest in a luxury condominium project in Ampang KL.

“Why is this loan made to invest in the peninsular instead of in Sabah and does this investment bring any benefit to the Rakyat of Sabah?

"Since Mositun has exposed that the RM500 million bond was invested in Sabah Development Bank, then I would like to further ask him whether the funds have been invested in Development Corridor projects, POIC, Suria Complex or 1Borneo.

The loan which comes under the Ministry of Finance was first announced by Assistant Minister Tawfick and the Chief Minister mentioned it in the Dean sitting April 2010 but no details were available.

"In light of recent developments, situations of countries like Greece, Iceland becoming bankrupt and Dubai defaulting on its bonds, a Federal Minister has raised the spectre of Malaysia becoming bankrupt in 2019, it is only relevant that SAPP raised these issues which is of public concern for the government to explain.