Malaysia to be ‘firm’ in South China Sea row after PM Mahathir Mohamad said warships create tension
Mahathir, who won a stunning electoral victory in May, has said warships should be removed from the South China Sea
Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Wednesday that Malaysia’s new government will adopt a firmer stand in tackling a decades-old territorial row in the South China Sea amid China’s aggressive expansion in the disputed area.
“I think there should not be too many warships. Warships create tension,” the 93-year-old leader told the South China Morning Post in an exclusive interview last month.
Saifuddin said that Mahathir was “sending a signal that we want to be more firm, more serious” in handling the maritime dispute.
The 2002 declaration of conduct by claimants in the South China Sea that set loose guidelines for behaviour in the disputed waters has “no fangs” and China’s continued militarisation of the area has raised concern and could potentially escalate regional tensions, he told Parliament.
China has sent big coastguard vessels that resemble warships to the potentially energy rich territory and has caused uneasiness among its neighbours, he said.