Malaysia firmly rejects external maritime claims contradicting its 1979 map, including China’s, and asserts no overlapping maritime areas with Beijing.
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has reaffirmed its commitment to defending national sovereignty based on the 1979 Map, rejecting any external maritime claims that contradict it. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan stated this includes claims by China, which Malaysia neither acknowledges nor recognises.
He told the Dewan Negara that Malaysia has no overlapping maritime areas with China under the internationally recognised 1979 Map. “We stand by the 1979 Map. Any claims made after that are neither acknowledged nor recognised,” Mohamad said during Question Time.
He stressed that Putrajaya would not compromise on any sovereignty claims by other countries that fall outside the map’s boundaries. “In fact, we have never held any negotiations with China on such claims,” he added.
Responding to questions on border issues with neighbours, Mohamad said all measures are grounded in international law to safeguard territorial integrity. He clarified that the term “boundary delimitation negotiations” is more accurate than “dispute”, as Malaysia does not have hostile disagreements.
On Sabah, he reiterated that Malaysia has never recognised the Philippines’ claim. He emphasised the state became part of the Federation in 1963 through a UN-endorsed process of self-determination.
Regarding Malaysia-Indonesia borders, he said negotiations progress based on historical conventions of 1891, 1915 and 1928. Both countries signed two memoranda of understanding in February 2025, resolving 58.3 kilometres of land boundary.
With Singapore, efforts focus on gradually resuming sovereign management of airspace in the southern Kuala Lumpur Flight Information Region. For Thailand, 11 MOUs have been signed, demarcating about 82% of the total land boundary.
Replying to another question, Mohamad described legal challenges by heirs of the Sultan of Sulu in European courts as “forum shopping”. “The claims by the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu are separate from those of the Philippine government, but we do not recognise either,” he said.
Malaysia’s recent success in overturning several European court decisions is seen as a significant boost to its position in defending territorial rights.
The Sun Malaysia
