Sebatik Island
Encyclopedia
Sebatik Island is an island off the eastern coast of Borneo
, partly within Indonesia
and partly within Malaysia. It has an area of approximately 452.2 square kilometres. The minimum distance between Sebatik Island and the mainland of Borneo is about one kilometer.
Sebatik Island lies between Tawau Bay (Teluk Tawau) to the north and Sebuku Bay (Teluk Sebuku) to the south. The city of Tawau
lies in Sabah
just to the north. The island is bisected at roughly 4° 10' North by the Indonesia-Malaysia border
- the northern part belongs to Sabah
, Malaysia (Sebatik Malaysia) while the southern part belongs to East Kalimantan
, Indonesia
(Sebatik Indonesia).
Sebatik Malaysia has a population estimated to be approximately 25,000, as opposed to approximately 80,000 people in Sebatik Indonesia.
The demarcated international border between Malaysia and Indonesia stops at the eastern edge of Sebatik Island, so that the ownership of Unarang Rock and the maritime area located to the east of Sebatik is unclear. This is one of the reasons why the Ambalat region waters and crude oil deposits east of Sebatik Island have been the center of an active maritime dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia since March 2005. The ambiguity of the border at the eastern edge is sometimes attributed as a reason causing the "loss" to Indonesia of two islands: Sipadan and Ligitan.
While there are border guards on the island, there is currently no immigration office, no customs house, no barbed wire fence and no walls demarcating the border. Instead, the only evidence of a border are the concrete piles buried every kilometer from east to west.
Sebatik Island was one of the places in which heavy fighting took place between Indonesian troops and Malaysian troops during the 1963 Indonesia Malaysia Confrontation
.
The North Borneo Timbers company operated a logging concession on the island until the 1980s and its mostly expatriate employees lived in a self-contained community in Wallace Bay. Sebatik Malaysia is within the administrative district of Tawau
. For electoral purposes, Sebatik falls within the parliamentary constituency of Kalabakan
and the state assembly district of Sebatik.
Sitangkai Indonesia (at its closest points) is approximately 175 km to Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi
, Philippines, the second closest point between the two countries after the Miangas
island in North Sulawesi
.
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, partly within Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and partly within Malaysia. It has an area of approximately 452.2 square kilometres. The minimum distance between Sebatik Island and the mainland of Borneo is about one kilometer.
Sebatik Island lies between Tawau Bay (Teluk Tawau) to the north and Sebuku Bay (Teluk Sebuku) to the south. The city of Tawau
Tawau
Tawau is the administrative center of Tawau Division, Malaysia and the third largest town of Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.-Geography:...
lies in Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
just to the north. The island is bisected at roughly 4° 10' North by the Indonesia-Malaysia border
Indonesia-Malaysia border
The border between the Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia and Malaysia consist of both a land border separating the two countries' territories on the island of Borneo as well as maritime boundaries along the length of the Straits of Malacca, in the South China Sea and in the Celebes Sea.The...
- the northern part belongs to Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
, Malaysia (Sebatik Malaysia) while the southern part belongs to East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan is the second largest Indonesian province, located on the Kalimantan region on the east of Borneo island. The resource-rich province has two major cities, Samarinda and Balikpapan...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
(Sebatik Indonesia).
Sebatik Malaysia has a population estimated to be approximately 25,000, as opposed to approximately 80,000 people in Sebatik Indonesia.
The demarcated international border between Malaysia and Indonesia stops at the eastern edge of Sebatik Island, so that the ownership of Unarang Rock and the maritime area located to the east of Sebatik is unclear. This is one of the reasons why the Ambalat region waters and crude oil deposits east of Sebatik Island have been the center of an active maritime dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia since March 2005. The ambiguity of the border at the eastern edge is sometimes attributed as a reason causing the "loss" to Indonesia of two islands: Sipadan and Ligitan.
While there are border guards on the island, there is currently no immigration office, no customs house, no barbed wire fence and no walls demarcating the border. Instead, the only evidence of a border are the concrete piles buried every kilometer from east to west.
Sebatik Island was one of the places in which heavy fighting took place between Indonesian troops and Malaysian troops during the 1963 Indonesia Malaysia Confrontation
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation during 1962–1966 was Indonesia’s political and armed opposition to the creation of Malaysia. It is also known by its Indonesian/Malay name Konfrontasi...
.
The North Borneo Timbers company operated a logging concession on the island until the 1980s and its mostly expatriate employees lived in a self-contained community in Wallace Bay. Sebatik Malaysia is within the administrative district of Tawau
Tawau
Tawau is the administrative center of Tawau Division, Malaysia and the third largest town of Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.-Geography:...
. For electoral purposes, Sebatik falls within the parliamentary constituency of Kalabakan
Kalabakan
Kalabakan is a small township and also a parliamentary constituency in Sabah, Malaysia. It is located in the Tawau Division, and is about 55 kilometres from Tawau town.This place is situated in Sabah, Malaysia, its geographical coordinates are 4° 25' 0" North, 117° 29' 0" East and its original name...
and the state assembly district of Sebatik.
Sitangkai Indonesia (at its closest points) is approximately 175 km to Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi
Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi
Sitangkai is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost inhabited island of the Philippines. It is called the 'Venice of the Philippines' due to the use of boats as primary transportation, although footbridges connect one house from another...
, Philippines, the second closest point between the two countries after the Miangas
Island of Palmas Case
Island of Palmas Case, , was a case involving a territorial dispute over the Island of Palmas between the Netherlands and the United States which was heard by the Permanent Court of Arbitration...
island in North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia. It is on the island of Sulawesi, and borders the province of Gorontalo to the west . The islands of Sangihe and Talaud form the northern part of the province, which border Davao del Sur in the Philippines.The capital and largest city in North Sulawesi is...
.