KUCHING: Malaysia's readiness to negotiate with China over a maritime dispute in the South China Sea is a welcome move towards ensuring the nation's sovereignty, says a Sarawak lawmaker.
Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman said he supported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's stand to use diplomatic channels to resolve any dispute with China.
"I am also confident that Malaysia, through the Foreign Ministry, will take constructive measures and act in the best interests of the nation," he said in a statement on Wednesday (April 5).
He was responding to Anwar's remarks on Monday (April 3) that Malaysia was open to holding talks with China on its oil and gas claims in the South China Sea but would not back down from its own territorial claims.
The Prime Minister had said oil drills by PETRONAS would continue as the oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea were an important revenue source for Malaysia, adding that he raised this issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his official visit to China last week.
Fazzrudin said an area of concern to the Sarawak government was the disputed waters around Beting Patinggi Ali, or Luconia Shoals, a resource-rich area located only 80 nautical miles from Sarawak's coastline.
Based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, he said, the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of a country extends to 200 nautical miles from its coastline.
He added that in the past, there were several reported encounters by PETRONAS operating oil and gas fields in the South China Sea within Malaysia's EEZ with Chinese vessels.
"We must guarantee the safety of our coastline with assets being deployed regularly to monitor the situation and also with regular diplomatic channels as mentioned by Anwar.
"At the same time, we must ensure the sovereignty of the country, along with Sarawak, from outside threats," he said.
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