THE Defence Ministry today clarified that Beting Patinggi Ali belongs to Malaysia and that it has never recognised any claim by any party as the area is located in the exclusive economic zone of Malaysia.

It said in a statement that geographically, Beting Patinggi Ali is located 84 nautical miles from the coast of Miri (specifically in Tanjung Baram), Sarawak and is within Malaysia’s waters.

“The sovereignty of the country will continue to be preserved and will always be a priority of Defence Ministry and the Malaysian armed forces (MAF),” it said.

On Wednesday, Defence Minister Mohamad Hasan stressed that the Malaysian armed forces have sufficient assets to monitor the disputed area around Beting Patinggi Ali.

He said the move was taken to monitor the presence of China’s Coast Guard vessel in the area and it is important for Malaysia to place its military assets in the area due to overlapping claims by other countries.

It was previously reported that a Royal Malaysian Navy patrol ship, KD Kelantan, had been deployed to Beting Patinggi Ali waters to monitor the presence of China’s Coast Guard vessels there. – Bernama, January 27, 2023.