Earlier this month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Indonesian President, Joko Widodo made a joint announcement during the Annual Malaysia-Indonesia Consultation to finally resolve the long-standing issues in the Sulu-Sulawesi waters.

The tri-border area has long been a hub for transnational organized crime and terrorist threats, as the Philippine-based Abu Sayyaf militants are behind a rash of kidnappings of Indonesian and Malaysian sailors in the seas.

We explore the long-running issues in the Sulu-Sulawesi seas over the years, and the efforts taken to address the security issues in the tri-border area.

This is a report by Wan Irdina and Keith Kam.