PRIME Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said a special Asean-Japan summit would be held to discuss in depth regional and international issues. 

Ismail said he had suggested the summit to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in their meeting in Tokyo yesterday that Japan should make an engagement not only with Malaysia, but also Asean, and Kishida agreed to hold it next year. 

“Asean usually has its own stand, not those of the individual countries,” he told Malaysian journalists in Tokyo today at the end of his official working visit to Japan. 

Ismail said he also told Kishida that Malaysia would not compromise on any form of threat to its sovereignty in the South China Sea.

In handling the complex issue of the South China Sea and interstate relations, all related countries must remain committed to maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, he said. 

He said the actions taken by Malaysia when there was an issue of encroachment in its waters in the South China Sea was in the form of protests and negotiations with parties involved. 

“When there is a related issue, we resolve it via dialogue,” he said. 

On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ismail said he had informed Kishida that Malaysia does not support any violation of fundamental principles including the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country and international law. 

He said Malaysia is concerned about the impact of the conflict, especially on countries not directly involved, such as on their food security. – Bernama, May 28, 2022.