Malaysia will strengthen its navy and air force to safeguard territorial waters, including the South China Sea, while keeping diplomatic channels open with stakeholder countries, said Malaysia’s National Security Council (NSC) director-general Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin.
He was speaking to 300 delegates, including diplomats, military personnel and academics, at the Maritime Institute of Malaysia South China Sea Conference 2024 in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 18.
Datuk Raja Nushirwan said NSC will develop a new national security policy to reaffirm Malaysia’s status as a maritime nation.
It will be based on the Malaysia Defence White Paper 2019, which focused on building a larger navy and air force, a priority that has not been emphasised in the past, he said.
“In the years to come, I hope and expect that the Malaysian government will be spending more on our maritime assets, involving the navy, coast guard and air force.
“In this regard, I wish to assure all that this is merely to bring our capabilities up to a standard required to do all we can to secure our maritime domain. After all, one cannot become a maritime nation if one cannot secure our maritime domain. It is certainly not an expression of assertiveness.
“We recognise fully that as the only nation that sits astride both the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, were we to spend, say, 4 per cent to 5 per cent (of gross domestic product) on defence, we would set off alarm bells in the region and thus add a further layer of complication that we do not need.”
He noted that Malaysia favours dialogue and diplomacy over force to resolve disputes in the contested waters, saying: “Our position remains clear. Disputes must be addressed peacefully through existing platforms and diplomatic channels. Malaysia firmly opposes any escalation of tensions or the use of force, as reaffirmed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.”
China and several Asean member states, including Malaysia, have long-running disputes over their overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea.
Beijing has demanded Kuala Lumpur halt oil and gas exploration near the Luconia Shoals, 100km off the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, according to a leaked diplomatic note from a Philippine news outlet in August.
In response, Datuk Seri Anwar insisted on maintaining drilling activities, while stressing in September that Sino-Malaysian ties remained strong.
