Mahathir fears Malaysia will be target of sanctions amid US-China trade war

The prime minister said Malaysia was ‘caught in the middle’ as proponents of free trade indulged in restrictive trade practices ‘on a grand scale’

He said the big powers should keep out weapons of war in the South China Sea as any tension would affect Asean’s success

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:34pm, 21 Oct 2019Updated: 3:07am, 22 Oct 2019

Malaysia’s reliance on exports means that it must prioritise peace and stability, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday, especially in areas such as the South China Sea where his government has pushed for demilitarisation of the contested waters.

“We have to maintain peace and stability. At this moment in the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, passage of ships are still free without any obstructions. But once people start sending warships into this area, there will be tension,” he told the 2019 Praxis conference in Kuala Lumpur, organised by Malaysia’s Institute of Strategic and International Studies.

“Our appeal to the big powers is to keep out all these weapons of war in this area. We don’t want any accidents, as you know accidents may lead to wars,” he said.

“Our appeal seems to be heard by the big powers, so far they have not deliberately created any crisis and to that extent Asean has succeeded together.”

Cargo ships dock at Malaysia's Klang port on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP

Malaysia’s economic growth relies on trade, Mahathir said, and so the country needs markets and “cannot afford to make enemies”.

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