Thursday 28 Mar 2024
By
main news image

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on July 26, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia hopes the Code of Conduct (CoC) for the South China Sea has sharp teeth to resolve multiple claims over its waters, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said in Parliament yesterday.

If the CoC fails to resolve matters, Malaysia would consider a legal suit against China over the Pulau Layang Layang reef, Saifuddin said in reply to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (BN-Beluran).

“The sea is claimed by many including China, which wants to play a bigger role geopolitically. There are no plans to take up a legal case against China but we are strengthening ways to deal with its behaviour, hence the CoC, which needs to be expedited.

“This is on the table of the Asean leaders’ meeting in Singapore next week. The DoC (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea) has no teeth. We are not sure if CoC would have canines but we hope to complete the process. If the situation exacerbates, we will consider [filing] a suit,” he added.

However, Saifuddin assured the House that Malaysia would not send a naval armada for “no apparent reason” to the oceanic region to resolve matters with China.

Responding to oral questions by three members of parliament on the set-up of a Chinese naval base fitted with missiles on the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, he said the CoC is expected to take some time to finalise.

The CoC would be a rules-based framework that all parties must abide by when implementing any activity in the South China Sea.

      Print
      Text Size
      Share