KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s proposal on Wednesday of an immediate working trip to China to discuss the Australia, United Kingdom, and United States (Aukus) alliance comes off as rather strange and misplaced.
“It is as if Malaysia is taking instructions from China,” said the Pakatan Harapan security committee in a statement today.
On Wednesday, Hishammuddin told the Dewan Rakyat that Malaysia will seek to determine Beijing’s stance on the new security partnership Aukus.
The defence minister was quoted as saying that he was worried that if the situation is not managed properly and diplomatically when dealing with the world superpowers, untoward incidents may be triggered and may affect the safety of the region.
“We need to get the views from the leadership of China, especially China’s defence, on Aukus,” he said.
With regard to Aukus, the PH security committee, in the statement, maintains that it is concerned that the geopolitical temperature in the region has risen because of the deal.
“The Indonesian government also held a similar view.”
While the official position of the Malaysian government, as espoused by the prime minister, foreign minister and defence minister, which expresses concerns that Aukus may trigger an arms race in the region, is in line with PH's view, Hishamuddin’s remark is significantly off the mark.
Malaysia is guided by its Defence White Paper which received bipartisan approval in Parliament on December 2, 2019.
The statement said that one of the five fundamental principles of defence outlined in the Defence White Paper is “activist neutrality”.
“That adhering to the principles of non-alignment and actively promoting cooperation by emphasising inclusivity and shared prosperity, alongside shared security and shared identity (Pg 39).”
The statement added that activist neutrality simply means Malaysia is not sitting down or lying down when there is any attempt to infringe on its sovereignty and its non-aligned posture.
“Malaysia speaks up against the West if a potential arms race is detected. Likewise, Malaysia also actively influences China to respect the sovereignty of regional states, as well as Asean’s role in the region.
“We should not be seen choosing sides and giving the impression that Malaysia is taking instruction from anyone,” said the statement which was jointly released by Amanah’s Mohamad Sabu, Datuk Johari Abdul of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and DAP’s Liew Chin Tong. – The Vibes, September 25, 2021
