Malaysian Foreign Minister Expresses Concern Over South China Sea Situation

Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah. Source: malaymail.com

At the 20th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Political-Security Community Council on November 2 within the framework of the 35th ASEAN Summit in Thailand, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah expressed Kuala Lumpur's concern about the presence of many Chinese coast guard ships in the country's waters.

Regarding the East Sea issue, Mr. Saifuddin expressed concern about the increasing frequency of Chinese coast guard vessels appearing in areas near the Malaysian coast, while the negotiation process to build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) with Beijing is continuing.

According to Mr. Saifuddin, the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will establish a maritime research center and invite ASEAN member countries to participate.

In addition, Mr. Saifuddin also mentioned a series of issues and challenges that ASEAN is facing. According to him, in preparation for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations in 2020, ASEAN should reaffirm its commitment to the values ​​of the United Nations Charter. Malaysia is outlining four main activities: reforming the United Nations Security Council, promoting gender equality towards Beijing 25+, supporting initiatives of civil society organizations, and strengthening efforts for nuclear disarmament.

On the Rohingya issue, the Malaysian Foreign Minister suggested that Myanmar hold a dialogue with Rohingya refugees, especially those temporarily residing in Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh), to build trust, thereby ensuring their voluntary, safe and dignified repatriation.

Malaysia welcomes ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi's proposal to set up a task force to deal with the repatriation of Rohingya.

Regarding the fight against terrorism, Malaysian diplomatic officials warned that although terrorist leaders such as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Osama Bin Laden have been eliminated, terrorist threats still exist.

ASEAN needs to step up efforts in line with its Action Plan to Prevent and Counter the Rise of Radicalism and Extremism. Malaysia will actively participate through the work of the ASEAN Counter-Terrorism Centre./.