KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 5 -- Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia has reaffirmed its sovereign rights over the maritime area known as Blok ND-6 and ND-7 in the Sulawesi Sea, rejecting Indonesia's use of the term Ambalat to describe the disputed region.

Mohamad Hasan, also known as Tok Mat, said that Indonesia's claim which refers to Ambalat covers parts of the Sulawesi Sea.

"Malaysia maintains that Blocks ND-6 and ND-7 are within Malaysian sovereign territory and the country's sovereign rights based on international law, supported by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in 2002.

"Therefore, the more accurate term for the area in question that aligns with Malaysia's position is the Sulawesi Sea, not Ambalat," he...