Star Sabah has expressed concern over the intrusion of Chinese naval warships into Malaysian territorial waters at James Shoal, about 80km from Sarawak's coastline.

Party chief Jeffrey Kitingan ( right ) accused the federal government and Defence Ministry of taking the matter lightly.

"The federal government and the ministry must be prepared for all consequences for treating the intrusion by the Chinese navy into Sarawak's coastline lightly," he said.

Jeffrey was referring to Chinese naval warships that carried out an exercise at James Shoal recently, and its subsequent denial by the navy chief.

"The federal government should explain the incursion to all Malaysians and take appropriate action to secure the security and sovereignty of Sarawak territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles.

"The Chinese naval incursion and potential claim over James Shoal and the Spratlay Islands have serious, dire consequences for Malaysia and Sarawak.

"At stake are Sarawak's security and sovereignty as well as the EEZ and the exclusive rights that go along with it, fishing and tapping of marine resources, seabed mineral exploration including oil and gas exploration and other economic exploitation,” Jeffrey said.   

"It also has to be remembered that the boundaries of Sabah and Sarawak, as declared by the Queen in Council in 1954, extend to the continental shelf that is in most parts beyond the EEZ," he added in a statement.

Show commitment

Jeffrey said that with its French-built submarines, the least the Malaysian government and the Royal Malaysian Navy could have done was to position them near James Shoal as a show of naval power.  

"The failure will show that Malaysia’s naval capabilities are weak. It will also reinforce the perception that the submarines are defective, cannot dive or purchased as museum pieces to line the pockets of cronies with ill-gotten gains amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgit.

"More importantly, the federal government must show its commitment to protect the territorial waters of Sabah and Sarawak and provide the securities that were promised to the Borneo States during the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

"The promise of the then Malayan leaders to provide security for the Borneo states was one of the fundamental bases to persuade and induce Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia in 1963," he added.

Jeffrey said if the Malaysian navy could not even react when the Chinese naval ships were 80km. from Sarawak's coastline, it would be too late if a serious incursion took place.    

"Like in Pearl Harbour in World War II, foreign ships could have entered the shores of Sarawak, done damage and landed at beaches in Sarawak.

"Will the federal government need another Kampung Tanduo intrusion to take place in Sarawak before it takes the necessary action to safeguard the security and sovereignty of Sarawak?" Jeffrey asked.

Meanwhile, Reuters in its report on Jan 26 said three Chinese naval ships patrolled the James Shoal, in the latest sign of Beijing's territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea.