February 26, 2025
GEORGE TOWN – Malaysia will propose stronger regional cooperation to address maritime security challenges, particularly amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the resource-rich South China Sea, says the Defence Ministry.
Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said maritime security has remained a critical concern for Asean, with the South China Sea becoming a focal point for territorial disputes.
“The South China Sea, in particular, is a high-pressure zone and a site of geopolitical power struggles,” he noted.
“Malaysia aims to prevent conflicts while ensuring freedom of navigation and passage in the region.
“We stress the need to uphold international law governing territorial waters and minimise any military asset deployments in disputed areas.
“We must work together to ensure stability, uphold international law and prevent the South China Sea from becoming a contest for rivalries,” he said, adding that the proposal would be brought up during the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) retreat today.
The three-day meeting, which concludes tomorrow, aims to collectively address the challenges faced by the nations in the region.
Mohamed Khaled, who will chair the meeting today, said he would bring up four other issues for discussion during the official opening at the Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa.
The issues, he said, are artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, humanitarian and peacekeeping forces, advancing the defence industry corporation and focusing on non-traditional threats.
Mohamed Khaled said the future of national security would be significantly shaped by the advancement of technology, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
“We know that AI and other emerging technologies will be a common feature in the use of the defence sector.
“While the use of technology and AI will greatly bolster security efforts and enhance efficiency, if left unchecked, it could also pose risks to any country. Their misuse could become a significant threat to anyone,” he added.
According to Mohamed Khaled, the third area is to create a humanitarian and disaster relief team among Asean countries.
He said with climate change, natural disasters are becoming more frequent, with events that were once rare now occurring regularly in the Asean region.
Mohamed Khaled, stressed the need to consider forming a humanitarian and disaster relief team among Asean countries, particularly to respond to disasters like typhoons in the Philippines.
“If we talk about the peacekeeping force today, we have it, but it is only for cooperation between several Asean countries and not all of them.
“We will propose an initiative focused on how Asean nations can strengthen cooperation in the development of the defence industry,” he said.
Mohamed Khaled said another proposal that Malaysia would raise during the meeting was handling threats from non-state actors and biosecurity.
“We know about terrorist groups, criminal groups involved in various illicit activities and they may, at some point, grow stronger and become armed groups,” he said.
More than 150 delegates from 10 Asean member states, Timor-Leste and the Asean Secretariat are expected to attend the official ADMM retreat at 9am today.