Minister: Chinese vessels encroached Malaysian waters 23 times last year

 

PARLIAMENT | Chinese vessels were found to have encroached into Malaysian waters 23 times last year.

This was revealed by Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein in a parliamentary reply to Larry Sng (Independent-Julau).

“The Royal Malaysian Navy, via its surveillance, recorded 23 cases of encroachment by Chinese state assets in the Malaysian Maritime Zone last year.

“The encroachment of the People's Republic of China, namely the China Coast Guard, was detected in the country's waters since 2013.”

Sng also asked what actions were being taken by Malaysia in defending its sovereignty.

"The navy has deployed its warships together with ships sent by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to strengthen the sovereignty of the country via several operations," replied Hishammuddin.

"The deployment of the Royal Malaysian Air Force aircraft on a regular basis also assists in the aspect of surveillance and defending the sovereignty of the country in the South China Sea," he added.

Luconia Shoals

China has maintained a near-constant presence at the Luconia Shoals located within Malaysia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coast of Sarawak.

In July 2020, the National Audit Department said Malaysia recorded 89 intrusions by the China Coast Guard and the People's Liberation Army Navy in the country's waters between 2016 and 2019.

The auditor-general also noted the Chinese government has repeatedly ignored protest notes on the incursions.

Following this, Wisma Putra summoned the republic's ambassador to convey its protest against the encroachment in Malaysia's EEZ off the coasts of Sabah and Sarawak.

A country's EEZ extends 200 nautical metres (370km) out to sea.

News reports in July 2020 quoted Hishammuddin, who was the foreign minister then, saying no Chinese coastguard and navy ships were found in Malaysian waters. - Mkini