MALAYSIA: ALL PARTIES MUST ADHERE TO INTERNATIONAL LAW ON SOUTH CHINA SEA

By Kenny Teng Khoon Hock

VIENTIANE, July 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has called for all parties to honour international and maritime law to minimise the influence of external powers in the South China Sea, stated Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Malaysia has proposed at the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) plenary session that ASEAN countries should avoid seeking external assistance to resolve territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

"It is better for issues within ASEAN and the Southeast Asian region to be resolved through negotiations and dialogue among the countries themselves.

"ASEAN centrality is crucial. If any ASEAN member or country attempts to bring in external influence to solve its problems, it will lead to uncertainty in the Southeast Asian region," he told Malaysian media here on Thursday.

Earlier, Mohamad led Malaysia's delegation to the 57th AMM, which began today, for the plenary and retreat sessions at the National Convention Centre (NCC) in Laos.

Additionally, Mohamad said there was agreement that ASEAN should increase negotiations to reduce the presence of external parties.

"This is what we are trying to avoid, and we request that major powers—though I won't specify who—stop their attempts to intervene in ASEAN’s family environment. Let issues among ASEAN countries, particularly the South China Sea, be resolved through negotiation and dialogue among ASEAN nations themselves," he said.

The territorial claims over several islands and reefs in the South China Sea have been a subject of dispute between China, the Philippines, and several other Asia-Pacific countries for decades.

Significant oil and gas reserves have been found in the continental shelves of these islands, including the Paracel Islands, Thitu Island, Scarborough Reef, and the Spratly Islands, with Whitsun Reef being part of them.

In July 2016, following a claim filed by the Philippines, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China had no basis for its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The court ruled that the islands were not disputed territories and did not constitute an exclusive economic zone.

-- BERNAMA