Andrinof added that he had suggested to form a joint research team with officials from the Bappenas and Defense Ministry to implement the plan, which would include building military bases in Tanjung Datuk, West Kalimantan; on North Kalimantan's Tarakan Island; and on the Natuna Islands, which are part of Riau Islands province and are located off the northwest coast of Kalimantan, close to waters claimed by China.

"We will then report our findings to President Jokowi and he will be the one to decide [on the course of action]," Andrinof said, referring to Joko by his popular nickname. "But we hope the plan can be implemented in the near future."

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said he supported the initiative, adding that border areas should be the nation's top priority as they can be contested by neighboring countries.

In May last year, Indonesia's Foreign Ministry had to interfere as Malaysia had started construction of a lighthouse in the Tanjung Datuk border area. Construction was halted after negotiations.

"Building a military post [in areas like Tanjung Datuk] is a good idea. We must protect our natural resources, especially our maritime resources," Ryamizard said. "The Defense Ministry fully supports the plan. We don't want to see another dispute over our border areas like in the Sipadan and Ligitan case."

Sipadan and Ligitan are two small islands located off the east coast of Kalimantan that were the subject of a decades-long dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia. The International Court of Justice ultimately decided to hand both islands to Malaysia in 2002.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, sparking increasingly tense conflict with countries like Vietnam and the Philippines. Indonesia, not formally involved in the territorial dispute, has so far been pushing for a diplomatic solution.