Malaysia calls for restraint to prevent escalation of South China Sea tensions
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that, with regard to the geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea, Malaysia has consistently adhered to the principle of peaceful resolution based on international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
"We emphasise that all parties should exercise restraint and avoid any actions that could escalate tensions.
"Malaysia is also actively involved in efforts to finalise an effective and legally binding Code of Conduct (COC), which is an important instrument for managing and peacefully resolving disputes," he said in a parliamentary written reply.
Mohamad said this in response to Rodiyah Sapiee (GPS-Batang Sadong), who enquired about the initiatives currently being taken by Malaysia to strengthen Asean's role as an effective regional bloc, particularly in addressing critical issues such as the humanitarian and political crisis in Myanmar, geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea, and regional cooperation in tackling the impacts of climate change.
Last week, Mohamad had said that every action the government takes regarding the South China Sea issue is based on thorough and strategic consideration, and that Malaysia's sovereignty, sovereign rights , and national interests will not be compromised.
He said matters related to the South China Sea are complex and sensitive and must be approached with great caution and diligence.
In terms of the crisis in Myanmar, Mohamad said Malaysia remains firmly committed to the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) as the primary reference and that its implementation must continue to be strengthened.
He also said that as the Asean Chair, Malaysia has undertaken various initiatives to assist Myanmar in addressing the increasingly worrying crisis.
This includes conducting continuous engagements with all relevant stakeholders to encourage inclusive political dialogue and to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered without discrimination through the Asean Chair's special envoy to Myanmar.
He added that to date, Malaysia has also contributed humanitarian aid amounting to USD200,000 as a one-off donation in December 2024, and RM10 million (USD2.3 million) in March this year following the earthquake in Myanmar, bringing the total contribution to USD2.5 million.
"Malaysia will continue to strengthen its role by utilising the Asean Troika mechanism to ensure the continuity of efforts and foundations established by the country this year are carried forward by next year's Asean Chair, the Philippines.
"Asean dialogue partners have also given their full support to Malaysia and Asean in this regard.
"Malaysia urges all parties to use their influence to press for an immediate end to the violence. Malaysia also expresses concern over the planned elections in Myanmar at the end of 2025, as any non-inclusive elections risk exacerbating the existing conflict."
In May this year, Mohamad said Asean Foreign Ministers have agreed that continuous engagement with conflicting parties in Myanmar is necessary to address the ongoing crisis in the country.
He said while the 5PC was agreed upon by Asean to address the crisis, the key challenge lies in the trust deficit between the various parties in Myanmar.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
37 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Deputy minister: Putrajaya maintains 7.3pc profit cap for TNB under current regulatory period, with excess returned to consumers
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Putrajaya said today it has maintained a profit cap of 7.3 per cent for Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) for a three-year period under Regulatory Period 4 (RP4), a rate unchanged since 2018. According to Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, any profit exceeding this limit will be returned to consumers through the Electricity Industry Funds (KWIE). 'The capped profit rate has been in place since RP2 in 2018, and any excess earnings will be channelled back to the people through KWIE,' he told the Dewan Rakyat here. He explained that the capped profit is benchmarked against TNB's investment needs, including upgrading and strengthening the national grid to support the Asean Power Grid, building and maintaining power plants, installing smart meters, digitalising the energy system, and accommodating greater integration of renewable energy in line with Malaysia's energy transition agenda. He also said government-linked investment companies such as Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the Retirement Fund (KWAP), and the Employee's Provident Fund are among TNB's main shareholders, with these entities receiving a total of RM15.75 billion in dividends from 2018 to 2023. 'The profit cap is intended to ensure TNB remains stable as a utility company capable of delivering quality services to consumers while providing reasonable returns to its main shareholders, which include the government-linked investment companies,' he added. Akmal was responding to a question from Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng on TNB's annual profit and the additional revenue it could gain after the electricity tariff hike for the commercial sector on July 1. Replying to a supplementary question from Padang Besar MP Rushdan Rusmi on whether the ministry would consider introducing a 'reserve tariff' or 'returnable tariff' mechanism to return profits beyond a set threshold directly to consumers as bill rebates rather than through company dividends or CSR initiatives, Akmal said such returns were already in place. 'For example, those using less than 600 kWh will receive energy efficiency incentives starting now. Secondly, to further assist groups that use energy efficiently, retail costs do not need to be paid,' he added. He said the government is rebalancing the tariff so that more funds go towards infrastructure, instead of the previous structure where nearly 90 per cent covered energy costs and only 9 per cent went to infrastructure. He added that they are aiming to keep energy costs at around 40 to 50 per cent, pending confirmation of the exact figures. 'In principle, protection and returning benefits to the people have been implemented from the start. We have planned that for the next three years, users below the mentioned threshold will not be affected by automatic fuel adjustment 'Under this plan, if examined closely, 85 per cent of TNB's users, especially domestic ones, are already enjoying reductions when using electricity at the same consumption level because these incentives were provided earlier,' he added.
Malay Mail
3 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Asean set to adopt AI safety network at 47th summit in 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — A declaration on the establishment of the ASEAN AI Safety Network (ASEAN AI Safe) is targeted for adoption by leaders at the 47th ASEAN Summit, said ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn. He said this represents a crucial step toward institutionalising AI safety, ethics, and governance principles as endorsed by ASEAN Digital Ministers while supporting the implementation of the ASEAN Responsible AI Roadmap. 'The establishment of ASEAN AI Safe aligns with global calls for an international network to tackle AI safety risks through collaboration among governments, academia and industry. 'ASEAN AI Safe underscores the commitment to responsible AI development and looks forward to the network's formal establishment by early 2026,' he said during the special address at the ASEAN Artificial Intelligence (AI) Malaysia Summit 2025 yesterday. At the event, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched a Malaysian home-grown AI known as 'ILMU', built by YTL AI Labs, in partnership with Universiti Malaya. Kao emphasised that despite ongoing volatility and uncertainty in global trade, the world is witnessing a transformative growth of AI in reshaping every aspect of economies, societies and daily lives. Hence, he said, the first ever ASEAN AI Summit has provided a timely opportunity to deepen regional cooperation and build strategic trust around a shared vision with innovation and inclusive development to guide the collective journey into a new era of digital transformation. Kao said AI is expected to contribute a gross domestic product of 10 to 18 per cent, equivalent to nearly US$1 trillion by 2030. Besides, he said this year, ASEAN is prioritising on the ASEAN Digital Economic Framework Agreement (DEFA) to build on the regional digital ecosystem, which could potentially double its projection to US$2 trillion by 2030. — Bernama
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Build liveable and ‘lovable' cities, says Nga
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must build cities that are not only liveable but 'lovable' by embedding sustainability and inclusivity into every facet of urban development, said UN-Habitat Assembly President and Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming. In his special keynote address at the Asean Sustainable Urbanisation Forum (ASUF), Asean Governors and Mayors Forum (AGMF) and Meeting of Governors and Mayors of Asean Capitals (MGMAC) yesterday, Nga outlined three core priorities for his ministry – housing, public infrastructure and waste management. He said Malaysia has already achieved 98.4% of its 500,000 affordable homes target under the 12th Malaysia Plan, delivering 492,000 units. The rebranded People's Residency Programme will incorporate sustainable features such as rainwater harvesting, solar panels and urban farming spaces. Through Urbanice Malaysia, the ministry has also rolled out the community hub initiative, in which unused public housing spaces are converted into community facilities, while Think City's Kita Untuk Kita programme offers grants for the urban poor to improve and personalise their living environments. On climate action, Nga said Malaysia is seeking US$20 million (RM84.6 million) from the Global Climate Adaptation Fund to implement nature-based solutions in the city alongside efforts to build 100 Madani parks each year. Last year, the target exceeded with 109 parks and 115 million trees planted under the Malaysian National Greenery Programme. The number of trees planted surpassed the original five-year goal of 100 million. On waste management, Nga announced plans for 18 waste-to-energy plants across Peninsular Malaysia to help meet the national target of 70% renewable energy capacity by 2050. 'In 2023 alone, we spent more than RM2 billion on solid waste management, public cleaning, landfill operations and leachate treatment. 'By turning 'trash into cash' and 'waste into energy', we can manage waste sustainably while contributing to our renewable energy goals.' Nga said the initiatives fall under the Circular Economy Blueprint for Solid Waste 2025–2035, led by the newly formed National Circular Economy Council, which will also enforce the Extended Producer Responsibility Policy framework. Under the 13th Malaysia Plan, he said the ministry will expand the use of industrialised building systems and modular construction in public housing to reduce costs, noise pollution and waste. He said transit-oriented development will also be integrated into future housing projects to improve access to jobs and education through public transport. 'These measures will not only cut pollution and costs but pave the way for a greener, more resource-efficient Malaysia.' Nga urged Asean cities to align local policies with global frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, New Urban Agenda and the Asean Smart Cities Network. 'The path to a better future begins at the local level and extends to the global stage. Malaysia invites all Asean member states to walk this journey with us.' Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who delivered an opening address at the forum, said Asean's cities – which are home to more than 370 million people and generating 70% of the bloc's gross domestic product – must be 'living laboratories of sustainability and innovation', ensuring no one is left behind as urbanisation accelerates. 'Urbanisation must be a force for equality, not division,' he said, urging Asean cities to embed inclusivity, embrace digital transformation and scale up proven climate solutions.
