THE government is doing a great disservice to the nation by keeping silent on the presence of a Chinese flotilla in Malaysian waters, said Anifah Aman.

The former foreign minister said Putrajaya must not show indecision in defending Malaysia’s rights and interests recognised by international law.

He was referring to reports about the Chinese-government vessels in the Malaysian portion of the South China Sea.

“As more and more details are laid bare by national, regional and international news portals, I cannot help but notice the deafening silence on the part of the government of Malaysia on the matter,” Anifah said today in a statement.

“To say nothing about the activities undertaken by the Chinese survey vessel within Malaysia’s maritime areas is a great disservice to the nation.

“Safeguarding, protecting and promoting Malaysia’s strategic interests must be the guiding principle and trump any other consideration.”

He said it was important that Malaysia responded appropriately in the matter of the South China Sea as it was linked to issues of sovereignty, economic activity as well as peace and security in the region.

“Our inaction may be construed as acquiescence by interested parties and would be detrimental to our strategic interests.

“Our inaction may compel other parties to take certain actions which would further complicate matters and jeopardise peace, security and stability in our maritime areas and the region as a whole.”

In an April 23 letter to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Anifah said the government had issued protest notes against the intrusion in 2012 when Chinese vessels encroached on Malaysian waters 

Anifah was foreign affairs minister in 2012. 

Anifah urged the Muhyiddin government to take appropriate action against such intrusions.

“Although our vessels are too small to stop China’s, we must at least express our commitment in not allowing China to do as it likes in our maritime area,” he wrote.

“At the same time, we must also conduct close surveillance and shadowing of the China vessels, while our foreign minister expresses our displeasure of the presence of China vessels on our waters.”

Chinese government research ship Haiyang Dizhi 8 was spotted last week conducting a survey near an exploration vessel owned by Malaysia’s national oil company, Petronas.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8 was in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone, about 325km off the Malaysian coast, data from ship-tracking website Marine Traffic showed.

The ship, accompanied by a Chinese coastguard vessel, was moving in a hash-shaped pattern consistent with a seismic survey, the data showed.

At one time, the Haiyang Dizhi 8 was accompanied by up to seven Chinese coastguard ships which have since departed.

For nearly a week the vessel was in the area, including in waters claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia and China.

China lays claim to a large chunk of the South China Sea within a vaguely defined “nine-dash line”, including expanses in the south that are also claimed by Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei.

Petronas and Malaysia have not commented on the situation but the United States has called on China to stop its “bullying behaviour” in the South China Sea.

China has maintained that the Haiyang Dizhi 8 was conducting regular surveying activities in the area. It was reported yesterday that an Australian frigate has joined three US warships in the area to monitor the situation.

The US Navy said on Monday the USS America, an amphibious assault ship, and the USS Bunker Hill, a guided missile cruiser, were operating in the South China Sea. – April 23, 2020.