KL to boost territorial defence, including in South China Sea

Malaysia will strengthen its navy and air force to safeguard territorial waters, including the South China Sea, while keeping diplomatic channels open with stakeholder countries, said Malaysia's National Security Council (NSC) director-general Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin.

- Lu Wei Hoong

KUALA LUMPUR -

He was speaking to 300 delegates, including diplomats, military personnel and academics, at the Maritime Institute of Malaysia South China Sea Conference 2024 in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 18.

Datuk Raja Nushirwan said NSC will develop a new national security policy to reaffirm Malaysia's status as a maritime nation.

It will be based on the Malaysia Defence White Paper 2019, which focused on building a larger navy and air force, a priority that has not been emphasised in the past, he said.

"In the years to come, I hope and expect that the Malaysian government will be spending more on our maritime assets, involving the navy, coast guard and air force.

"In this regard, I wish to assure all that this is merely to bring our capabilities up to a standard required to do all we can to secure our maritime domain. After all, one cannot become a maritime nation if one cannot secure our maritime domain. It is certainly not an expression of assertiveness.

"We recognise fully that as the only nation that sits astride both the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, were we to spend, say, 4 per cent to 5 per cent (of gross domestic product) on defence, we would set off alarm bells in the region and thus add a further layer of complication that we do not need."