evidence: The key to making sense of Malaysia’s maritime boundary sensibility is to unpack how it conceptualizes its Tanah air (land and sea) or territorial integrity, which is utilitarian instead of ownership obsessed. From conversations with Malaysian elites and scholars, a shared theme emerged that the Malaysian concept of maritime territory emphasizes generating maximum benefits to those in the land. This makes Kuala Lumpur more willing to negotiate on its maritime zones, such as surrendering titles and ownership of maritime areas disputed with Brunei, in exchange for continued access over the area and the right to exploit oil deposits, as well as the commitment for Brunei to abandon its claim over Limbang (in Sarawak). The unequal value between land and the sea contrasts with Indonesia’s archipelagic notion that gives equal weight as it emphasizes uniting its disparate territory, thus inherently preoccupying it with securing ownership of its maritime zone.