KOTA KINABALU – The constant encroachment on Malaysian waters exposes the weakness of our defence and foreign policies, said Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
He said the government has failed to send a firm signal that the country’s airspace and maritime areas must be respected.
“China is not the only nation that highlighted Malaysia’s weakness in these areas, but (there are) also Vietnamese fishermen who are encroaching on local waters.
“We are not looking for a fight with China as it is an important trading partner to Malaysia.
“Such a thing was barely heard of in the past. We used to have firepower through defence arrangements with Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
“But what is happening now is that China does not respect Malaysia,” he said during a live stream chat called “Unity Talk”.
Shafie said the encroachment of 16 China military aircraft on the country’s maritime areas on May 31 was probably for the testing of the assets, but added that he is surprised it took the Foreign Ministry three days to respond to the incident.
The former state chief minister said he fears the region could be a “battleground for superpowers” and face further encroachment if Malaysia cannot make a hard stand.
“When we are weak as a government, everyone will take advantage of us.” – The Vibes, June 9, 2021
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