M'sia must adapt to South China Sea challenges or risk losing its interests, says analyst
06 Feb 2023 11:00pm
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said all three branches of the armed forces are on alert and will continue to be present in disputed areas to prevent any foreign party from exercising the “doctrine of estoppel”
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This comes after Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said all three branches of the armed forces are on alert and will continue to be present in disputed areas to prevent any foreign party from exercising the “doctrine of estoppel”, referring to Chinese maritime vessels in a disputed area near Malaysian waters off the coast of Sarawak,
Citing recent developments of Chinese vessels entering Malaysian waters, Collins Chong Yew Keat, a foreign affairs analyst with Malaya Universiti said this latest announcement by the defence ministry marked a shift in Malaysia’s tone in responding to these intrusions.
However, Chong said Malaysia must do more to protect its interests and leave behind its “quiet diplomacy” and take a firm and resolute in defending its national interests and territorial integrity by raising its ability to deter intrusions and prioritising clear and determined messages of increased responsive capacity.
“Recent events in the SCS, particularly around the disputed Beting Patinggi Ali near Miri, have again underscored the importance of greater public awareness and higher urgency for policymakers to fundamentally reorient our years-long China pandering and move away from being trapped under the Asian giant’s orbit,” he told Sinar Daily.
“Continuous bellicose actions and grey-zone activities meant to reinforce Beijing’s claims on its nine-dash line demand in the SCS have been repeatedly met with subdued responses on our part and resulted in our continued reliance on backdoor and quiet diplomacy to avoid inciting China’s wrath at the risk of our economic lifeline,” he added.
China has maintained near-daily patrols at key features across the disputed South China Sea since last year, ramping up its presence as tensions over the waterway with Southeast Asian neighbours remain high.
“The Defence Minister asserted that monitoring has been ongoing and asset deployment has been initiated to prevent a “doctrine of estoppel”.
"This reflects our historical trapping in being confined to this measure of monitoring Chinese vessels, combat ships and planes and only being responsive at selective levels should there be a violation of red lines.
“Almost each of the incidents will be brushed off as nothing offensive for now, as it has not crossed our real boundaries or our exclusive economic zone under anything permitted by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said.
Moving forward, Chong said Malaysia must take its defence capabilities seriously and move away from past mistakes such as the delay in the littoral combat ships (LCS) and continuous underinvestment in strategic defence assets in addition to a chronic overdependence on China for trade.
He also said Malaysia must make and be seen to be making efforts at diversifying its economic and trade links with China, besides building up its own defense capabilities, failing which it will find itself lacking credibility and isolated in the face of China’s SCS ambitions.
“If we are not serious and bold enough to break free from our China trap and fear and to take bold actions to reorient our approach and to rein in leakages and mismanagement in our defence spectrum, how can we expect others to keep their faith in assisting us and to come to our defence should we need it?”," he added.
