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MEMBERS of Parliament (MPs) across all political affiliations should raise, debate and condemn China’s maritime encroachments and its recent missile launch

The Impak Madani Organisation’s legislative researcher cum non-governmental organisation advisor urged the MPs to use the remaining time to reject strategic passivity and defend the rules-based maritime order.

Malaysia was absent from a joint statement issued by 14 nations, led by the US, Japan, Australia, the Philippines and the UK, marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award. The joint statement reaffirmed that China’s nine-dash line has no legal basis.

Malaysia’s continued silence on the issue could be misread by Beijing as acquiescence, allowing China’s maritime militia and coast guard vessels to normalise their presence around Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone, threatening offshore energy infrastructure such as the Kasawari gas field and local fishing communities.

In most recent times, Malaysia has not achieved any firm and substantial strategic ground in securing its maritime sovereignty and interests within the South China Sea against Mainland China.

Mainland China continues to claim the South China Sea nine-dash line as their own sovereign territory.

Our historic reliance on quiet diplomacy will unfortunately be misperceived as a lack of resolve, effectively emboldening Mainland China to advance its regional militarisation and nuclear posturing.

Keeping silent and staying away from the recent 14 nation joint statement on will not serve the interest of Malaysia’s maritime rights.

China’s submarine-launched ballistic missile test on July 6, projected a missile with a flight radius of about 7,300 kilometres before it landed in the South Pacific.

The launch occurred as Australia and Fiji were finalising a new defence pact and it poses a security concern for Malaysia, given its membership in the Five Power Defence Arrangements alongside Australia and New Zealand.

None of the Asean member states, Australia or New Zealand possess strategic nuclear weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles or submarine-launched ballistic missiles, calling China’s missile launch a provocative act that falls short of expectations for a responsible global power.

John Ooh Sin Hwa

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