We maintain our presence in overlapping areas but avoid aggressive actions, says the navy chief in Kota Kinabalu, Tuesday. (Photo: Daily Express/Sherell Jeffrey)
Kota Kinabalu: Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy Admiral Datuk Zulhelmy Ithnain said it is always present in disputed areas and ready to act, if necessary, although maintaining a non-aggressive stance.
“The Navy follows the Government’s directives. We maintain our presence in overlapping areas but avoid aggressive actions. Our primary strategy is to defuse situations through diplomacy.
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Military assets are only used if diplomacy fails, which we do not believe will happen,” he told a media conference at the Asia Pacific Submarine Conference (APSC 2024) at Pacific Sutera, Tuesday.
He was responding to questions regarding the Navy’s role in ensuring safety in Malaysian waters in view of conflicting maritime claims in the South China Sea.
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On plans to expand Malaysia’s submarine fleet, Zulhelmy said the Navy’s development and transformation plan, known as “15-5,” includes increasing the submarine fleet from the current two to four.
“We aim to strengthen the Royal Malaysian Navy’s fleet with more submarines in the future, but the timeline depends on the government’s financial capabilities,” he said.
Malaysia currently has two Scorpene-class submarines obtained in 2009 and 2010, which are based at the Sepanggar naval base.
Meanwhile, the APSC 2024, held from Sept 30 – Oct 2, themed “Uniting Efforts for Safety,” brought together representatives from 16 countries and three organisations.
This is the second such conference organised by the Malaysian Submarine Force Headquarters after the first in 2014.
This conference focuses on Submarine Escape and Rescue operations, aiming to foster cooperation among regional and submarine-operating nations in the Asia-Pacific.
The conference, an initiative of the Commander, Submarine Force, the US Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC), has been held annually since 2001.
“This year’s event, the 20th in the series, gathered 41 participants from various countries,” said Zulhelmy.
He said the Navy’s involvement in this conference will continue in the future to establish close cooperation and information sharing in discussing the latest safety aspects related to submarines.
Among the countries and external organisations represented are the United States, Australia, Bangladesh, Britain, Brunei, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, France, Singapore, Thailand, Direction Générale De L’armement (DGA), Submarine Escape and Rescue Working Group (SMERWG) and International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office (ISMERLO).
Local participation included organisations such as the National Security Council, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Hospital Angkatan Tentera Wilayah Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu Air Station and Target Resources Sdn Bhd.
