Indonesia says its deployment of fighter jets and warships to an area of ocean close to Malaysia is not meant to worry its neighbour. The action preceded a visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the joint border area of eastern Borneo. The oil rich ocean nearby is the site of a long running territorial dispute which has escalated with Malaysia's move to award oil exploration rights to the Shell company. And it comes as relations between the two countries are strained because of Malaysia's expulsion of thousands of illegal Indonesian workers.

Presenter/Interviewer: Finance Correspondent Karon Snowdon.

Speakers: Politics Professor P. Ramasamy from the National University of Malaysia; Indonesian Presidential Spokesman, Andi Mallerangeng.

Indonesia says the surrounding ocean just off the east coast of Borneo in the Sulawesi Sea and the potentially lucrative oil reserves contained there belong to it.

Jakarta has protested that Malaysia's February decision to grant a concession in the area to energy giant Shell has encroached into Indonesian maritime territory.

Indonesia sent navy ships, Malaysia has protested, but four more are reportedly on their way to the area where they could come in close contact with Malaysia's navy. Four F-16 fighter jets were also sent ahead of President Susilo's visit Monday.

Spokesman Andi Mallerangeng who is travelling with the President says he is inspecting oil and gas projects as well as the readiness of the Indonesian armed forces in the area.

Mallerangeng: Well it is the duty of our military forces to make sure our sovereignty of all our borders is intact. And now the President is in the area and the President wants to see the readiness of our military forces. The President and our military forces are responsible for safeguarding our borders.

Snowdon: Andi Mallerangeng says President Yudhoyono spoke with Malaysia's Prime Minster Badawi before he started his visit and their Foreign Ministers are to meet later this week to find a solution.

Politics Professor P. Ramasamy from the National University of Malaysia says the nationalists in the Indonesian government won't let the issue be easily swept under the dilpomatic carpet.

Ramasamy: As long as they are just empty islands and there are no resources its fine, Indonesia could accept the World Court's decision but now I think things are much more complicated.

Snowdon: And do you think its also complicated by there being a new President in the Blue House and perhaps wanting to assert himself a little bit in this or not?

Ramasamy: If you understand Indonesia it gave up East Timor some years back and it is also having problems with Aceh and people in Irian Jaya and Sulawesi, they are what I call nationalist movements. Maybe there are feelings within the ruling circle Indonesia has to make it known that its territorial integrity cannot be compromised and I think there is perhaps a link to Malaysia's attempts to get rid of illegal immigrants, many of whom are Indonesian. I don't know maybe there is a connection.

Snowdon: Further complicating matters and perhaps at the risk of being caught in the middle are the hundreds of thousands of illegal Indonesian migrant workers who have been forced across the border by a crackdown in Malaysia.

President Yudhoyono is visiting some temporary holding centres as part of his trip.

Kualar Lumpur actually wants them back as the economy depends on their cheap labour but it wants Jakarta to issue the relevant documents so they can return legally.

Malaysia is losing patience at what it says are delays in processing them and given Indonesia one month before it looks for workers from other countries.

Professor Ramasamy says while tensions are high talking is the only solution.

Ramasamy: Malaysia might have just won a moral victory some years back over these islands but the point is I don't think the World Court is going to enforce it, I mean there is no enforcement mechanism so far as international law is concerned. The point is the only way you resolve it is through bilateral relationships and I think Malaysia and Indonesia are not really traditional enemies to speak of. That is what the Malaysian deputy minister said " look here we can talk about it", so there's no necessity to sort of be aggressive. These things are there but hopefully this will be resolved in an amicable manner.