Formula for Peace in the South China Sea: Forget Warships!

Mr. Mahathir became Prime Minister of Malaysia after defeating Mr. Najib Razak in the election on May 9. Photo: Getty

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Mahathir said: "I think there should not be too many warships. Warships create tension. One day, a country may make a mistake and lead to conflict, some ships will sink and war may break out. We do not want that."

Mr. Mahathir said that the only way to maintain peace in the East Sea is to use small, armed boats that are only used to fight pirates, not to wage war, to patrol the waters.

Asked about who would participate in the joint patrols, Mahathir said that ASEAN members were the “natural choice” because they are located around the South China Sea. However, the Malaysian prime minister said that the US and China would also be welcome if they did not bring large warships.

East Sea expert Ian Storey said that Mr. Mahathir's statement shows "his determination to protect Malaysia's sovereignty and jurisdiction in the East Sea".

This expert commented: "His views do not show a change in Malaysia's policy, but I think Mr. Mahathir will be tougher on China's actions in the East Sea than his predecessor, who was seen as giving in to Beijing."

The best way to maintain peace in the East Sea is to not use large warships in patrol activities. Photo: AP

Mahathir became Malaysia's prime minister after defeating Najib Razak in the May 9 election. Najib's government was often accused of weakening Manila's position and role in the South China Sea by making concessions in exchange for large economic aid and investment from Beijing.

Mahathir, a nationalist, was credited with uniting Malaysia's many major ethnic groups and organizations. His tenure from 1981 to 2003 is still remembered as a prosperous period in Malaysia's history.