MALAYSIA SEES MARITIME SECURITY AS KEY TO REGIONAL STABILITY, URGES COC CONCLUSION

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia recognises maritime security as a strategic anchor for regional stability and has emphasised the importance of concluding the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) this year. 

Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin said Malaysia supports continued efforts to maintain peace, stability and freedom of navigation, as well as to strengthen maritime cooperation and confidence-building among ASEAN Member States.

“The South China Sea is an important passageway for trade… It is important for us to work hard and get the COC concluded by July 2026,” he said at a media briefing on the upcoming ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Cebu, the Philippines, to be held from Jan 28 to 29, on Friday.

Malaysia, as co-country coordinator with China for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, is spearheading COC negotiations and pushing for their conclusion.

Amran said external powers also have interests in the South China Sea, particularly in freedom of navigation and overflight, adding that tensions could arise if the situation is not handled carefully and delicately.

“Malaysia’s constructive approach to managing the issue is recognised not only within ASEAN but also by China,” he said.

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said COC negotiations have made significant progress, with nearly 70 per cent of the content agreed upon, but careful talks are still needed to ensure national sovereignty is not compromised.

Mohamad said COC is not an instrument to resolve overlapping claims, but rather a framework to ensure the waters remain a safe, free and peaceful trade route for all parties.

He said overlapping claims need to be resolved through bilateral or multilateral negotiations, while the COC serves to establish behavioural principles and confidence-building measures to prevent tensions in the area.

-- BERNAMA