KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) - Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he signed a land and sea boundary agreement with Brunei in March 2009 in which two overlapping offshore exploration fields came under Brunei after it was approved by the Malaysian Cabinet a month earlier.
In a statement today, the former Malaysian prime minister confirmed that Block L and Block M concessions now belonged to Brunei but the agreement provided that Malaysia would be allowed to participate in joint development of oil and gas on a commercial basis in the two areas for a period of 40 years.
"The financial and operational modalities for giving effect to this arrangement will be further discussed by the two sides.
"This means that in so far as the oil and gas resources are concerned, the agreement is not a loss for Malaysia," said Abdullah who had visited Bandar Seri Begawan for a two-day working visit on March 15 and 16 last year before he stepped down as prime minister two weeks later on April 3.
Abdullah was responding to questions raised by his predecessor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who said Abdullah had surrendered the two blocks in negotiations with Brunei.
(Borneo Bulletin Weekend: 1 May 2010)