Ian Storey

Asian Angle | Why Malaysia has stayed quiet but firm on South China Sea: ‘let sleeping dogs lie’

Anwar’s government has adhered to the three-pronged policy of maintaining China ties while still protecting Malaysia’s sovereign rights

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A Chinese coastguard ship passes a Philippine vessel during a resupply mission to Sabina Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Monday. Photo: AFP

Ian Storey

Published: 11:00am, 1 Sep 2024

According to a recent spate of articles, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has recalibrated his country’s foreign policy, giving it a more pro-China and anti-Western slant.

In particular, it has been suggested that Kuala Lumpur has moved closer to Beijing’s position on the South China Sea dispute in stating that the row should be resolved among claimant states without the involvement of external parties, and that this could cause problems for Asean unity when Malaysia takes over as chairman next year.

In reality, however, the Anwar government’s stance on the maritime dispute remains broadly consistent with that of its predecessors. And for good reason.

In the early 1990s, under prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, Kuala Lumpur adopted a three-pronged policy towards its overlapping claims with Beijing in the South China Sea.

A Kasturi-class corvette of the Royal Malaysian Navy fires a missile during a military exercise in the South China Sea in 2021. Photo: Bernama/dpa

First, Malaysia seeks to steadfastly assert and defend the country’s territorial claims and sovereign rights inside its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).