Affirm Sovereignty Commitment In The South China Sea, Malaysia Follows The 1979 New Map

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Xinhua via Antara)

JAKARTA - The Malaysian government affirms and is committed to defending sovereignty, sovereign rights and interests in its maritime territory in the South China Sea as stated in the 1979 Malaysia New Map.

In a press statement issued by the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (KLN) in Putrajaya on Saturday, April 8, it was stated that Malaysia is guided firmly that issues related to the South China Sea must be resolved peacefully and constructively under international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the working meeting of the Prime Minister in Parliament on April 4, 2023 also stated that every problem related to the South China Sea must be discussed or resolved peacefully using the existing platform.

Settlement is also carried out through diplomatic channels and without affecting sovereignty, sovereign rights and national interests, to avoid increasing tension (escalation) and threats or use of force.

The statement also said that in a joint effort to ensure the South China Sea remains a peaceful, stable, and safe sea for trade routes, Malaysia will continue to approach diplomacy in relations with other countries, including China.

The approach is in line with the provisions contained in the Declaration of Behavior of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which among other things resolved the conflict peacefully and avoided threats or use of force, as agreed by ASEAN Member States and China in 2002.

Negotiations approach is also being taken by ASEAN and China member countries to complete the code of ethics in the South China Sea. ASEAN and China are committed to the process to generating code of ethics under international law, including UNCLOS 1982.