CONFRONTATIONS at sea can sometimes occur between naval forces of different countries, especially over incidents close to the nautical borders.
Recently, a video went viral on social media claiming that the Royal Malaysian Navy was involved in a standoff with the Philippine navy in waters near Sabah.
Did such an incident actually occur, as claimed in the viral video?
VERDICT:
FALSE
The Royal Malaysian Navy, in a statement Thursday (Aug 14), denied claims of a standoff between its forces and the Philippine Navy.
The Navy stressed that no such incident had taken place and described the YouTube video in question as an attempt to undermine the longstanding defence and diplomatic ties between the two countries.
"The spread of such false information has the potential to stir controversy and erode public trust in the Navy's role, particularly in safeguarding the nation's maritime sovereignty.
"False information of this nature could threaten peace and stability in the region and may be seen as serving certain political or strategic agendas," the Navy said in the statement.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the continued security and sovereignty of Malaysian waters, and urged the public not to spread unverified information or engage in speculation that could cause confusion and jeopardise global peace.
The 12-minute 51-second video showed several warships at sea and claimed that Malaysian Navy and Philippine Navy vessels were in a standoff near Sabah waters. - Bernama
