The Indonesian navy has deployed three warships to waters claimed by Jakarta where the Malaysian government has conducted oil production sharing activities.
"Yes, we have certainly deployed three navy vessels to the area, but that [the deployment] does not mean there is tension between the two countries," the state-run Antara news agency quoted Lieutenant Colonel Guntur Wahyudi, spokesman of Indonesia's eastern navy fleet, as saying.
Wahyudi explained that the deployment of the navy warships was aimed to safeguard the seawaters close to the Sipadan and Ligitan islands, off the eastern coast of East Kalimantan province on Borneo island, bordering Malaysia.
He said Indonesia has merely been conducting routine, round-the-clock patrols in the area.
In addition to the navy vessels, Indonesia also deployed two Nomad maritime patrol airplanes to conduct reconnaissance of a possible violation against the country's territory, including airspace violations by foreign aircraft, Wahyudi said.
Indonesia last week lodged a protest against a Malaysian oil production sharing contract with Anglo-Dutch giant Royal Dutch Shell in an offshore area Jakarta claims as its territory.
Foreign Ministry officials have said Indonesia would do everything possible to safeguard its rights to oil and gas blocks in the area.
The officials said Indonesia believes Malaysia has no right to give concessions in that area, adding that awarding a concession by Petronas to Shell would be a violation of Indonesian territory.
Reports out of Kuala Lumpur earlier this month said Petronas awarded two new blocks, ND6 and ND7 off Borneo island, to local unit Petronas Carigali and Shell Malaysia, part of Royal Dutch Shell.
Malaysia is Southeast Asia's second-largest crude producer after Indonesia.
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