KUALA LUMPUR – The Foreign Ministry has summoned the Chinese ambassador to Malaysia to protest the illegal presence of Chinese vessels in waters off the coast of Sabah and Sarawak.
In a statement, Wisma Putra indicated it had called in Chinese envoy Ouyang Yujing to convey the country’s official position on the presence and activities of the vessels, which includes a survey vessel within Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone.
“The presence and activities of these vessels are inconsistent with Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone Act 1984, as well as the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” said the press release.
“Malaysia’s consistent position and actions are based on international law, in defence of our sovereignty and sovereign rights in our waters.”
Furthermore, it stated that Putrajaya had also protested against previous encroachments by other foreign vessels in the country’s waters, adding that Malaysia’s national interests will remain of “paramount importance”.
However, the statement acknowledged that the issue in the South China Sea was complex and involves interstate relations.
“Malaysia reiterates that all matters relating to the South China Sea must be resolved peacefully and constructively, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.”
Wisma Putra’s affirmed stance was made two days after Sabah Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan urged the government to send its strongest diplomatic protest to China and the United Nations over Chinese military activities in the South China Sea.
Jeffrey said the encroachment of the vessels shows Beijing’s lack of respect for neighbouring countries.
On May 31, Royal Malaysian Air Force fighter jets intercepted Chinese air force transport planes that appeared off Borneo over the South China Sea.
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who was foreign minister at the time, slammed the exercise as an intrusion and summoned the Chinese ambassador to Malaysia.
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy, however, said the activities were merely flight training exercises that was not intended to target any country.
The spokesman also contended that the aircraft did not invade any sovereign airspace.
Last year, a Chinese survey ship had a long standoff with a Malaysian oil exploration vessel off Borneo. – The Vibes, October 4, 2021
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