By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 (Bernama) -- Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on Wednesday said no unilateral decisions can be made regarding the Strait of Malacca, stressing ASEAN’s consensus-based approach in maintaining maritime security in the vital waterway.
Speaking as an additional guest speaker at the 10th Better Nation (BN) Forum on the Impact of the US-Iran Conflict on Malaysia, he said Malaysia, together with Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, shares a “watertight understanding” and conducts joint patrols to ensure safe passage through the strait, which is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.
“Whatever is to be done in the Strait of Malacca must involve the cooperation of all four countries. That is our understanding – it cannot be done unilaterally.
“This is because when we entered into a joint agreement on patrols and the security of the Strait of Malacca, that was the basis – there are no unilateral decisions.
“ASEAN is entirely based on consensus. Even at the subcommittee level, everything is based on consensus,” he stressed.
His remarks came amid prolonged uncertainty in the geopolitical developments in West Asia, with potential impacts that could increase the risks to passage in other maritime chokepoints, including the Strait of Malacca.
Meanwhile, he said Malaysia will continue to empower the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) and prioritise ASEAN centrality in navigating an increasingly complex global landscape.
Malaysia must practice "active neutrality" and avoid being trapped in global political games, he said.
"We are a trading nation, our economy is an open economy, and we trade with everybody. We can't afford to be seen as leaning towards anybody. Failing which, our economy will be disrupted," he said.
-- BERNAMA
