Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated on Thursday that Malaysia will not bow down to Beijing’s request to halt oil and gas exploration activities in the South China Sea. Anwar emphasized that Malaysia conducts these activities within its own territorial waters and it is not intended to provoke or antagonize Beijing.
During the Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok, Russia, Anwar reiterated that Malaysia’s exploration activities are conducted within its own region to safeguard its economic interests, including conducting oil drilling within its territory. He affirmed that Malaysia has never denied the possibility of discussions with Beijing but it does not mean they have to cease operations within their region.
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry is currently investigating the leaked diplomatic protest note published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on August 29. The note reportedly requested Malaysia to immediately halt all activities in the oil-rich waters near Sarawak, Borneo.
China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, which includes parts of the Exclusive Economic Zones of countries like the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, making energy exploration activities for these nations increasingly complex.
Under international law, an Exclusive Economic Zone does not signify sovereignty but grants the respective countries the sovereign rights to exploit natural resources within these waters. Malaysia’s national oil company Petronas operates oil and gas fields within Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea and has encountered Chinese vessels on multiple occasions in recent years.
Anwar mentioned that China has issued “one or two” protest notes demanding Malaysia to cease oil exploration activities, and the Malaysian government will continue to explain its stance to Beijing. He emphasized that Malaysia has made clear that it will not infringe upon another country’s territory, which is a strictly adhered policy and principle.
Referring to a 2016 ruling by an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague, Anwar highlighted that China’s sovereignty claims based on its U-shaped “nine-dash line” on the map have no legal basis under international law. Despite the ruling, Beijing does not acknowledge it and continues to engage in conflicts with neighboring countries in disputed waters, notably the Philippines. China has been obstructing the Philippines from providing supplies to its troops stationed in its Exclusive Economic Zone.