KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is sending a protest note to the Philippines regarding its two new maritime laws that infringe on Sabah’s maritime boundaries, says Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin.
He said the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Nov 8, were confirmed to have overstepped Malaysia’s 1979 New Map, which is based on international law.
He added that reference documents related to these laws also touched upon the Philippines’ claim over Sabah.
“We have finalised and considered several key issues that we will include in our protest note.
“We are sending this protest note today (Thursday) to demonstrate our commitment to defending Sabah’s sovereign rights and the sovereignty of our country,” the Bernama report quoted him as he was winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2025 at the committee stage for the Foreign Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
According to international media reports, the Philippines’ two new maritime laws are seen as an effort to strengthen Manila’s claims over control of the South China Sea, which remains disputed to this day.
Regarding Malaysia’s Asean 2025 chairmanship, Mohamad said the special allocation of RM560mil for the Foreign Ministry to organise various Asean-related events will cover expenses for conference facilities, accommodation for state guests and delegations, media and publicity, transportation and other services.
