Address South China Sea issues through Asean - minister

Any issues concerning the South China Sea should be continuously addressed through Asean, said Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

“There are no issues with foreign vessels passing through the South China Sea as it is a free waters passage, but it becomes an issue if foreign vessels stop in these waters.

“The presence of any foreign vessel in the South China Sea should not be regarded as an intrusion as the waters are a free passage.

“But if we perceive any form of intrusion, we will issue a protest note regarding the presence of the vessel to the respective countries, including China,” he told reporters after a working visit to the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Jinju, South Korea, today.

According to international media reports, China has increased the presence of its military and coast guard forces in the South China Sea since the beginning of this year.

This has led to several incidents of confrontation between coast guards from China and the Philippines, further escalating tensions in the disputed waters, with the latest incident reported on Aug 31.

Khaled said if there were to be any abnormal activities, Malaysia would act following international practices and norms.

“Therefore, I urge Malaysians to not be concerned about this issue and to have confidence in our national security forces protecting these waters,” he added.

- Bernama

Classified note leak: Stand unchanged on South China Sea - Wisma Putra

Navy craft sinks after hitting underwater object off Pengerang