KUALA LUMPUR: It is ridiculous for China to claim that the entire South China Sea is its possession, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said today.
When asked to explain Malaysia’s recent decision to challenge China’s “nine-dash line”, Saifuddin said that it is the sovereign right of Malaysia to make its territorial claim.
The U-shaped line appears in Chinese maps to illustrate that a large portion of the South China Sea – believed to be rich in resources – is part of its territory.
“It is our sovereign right to claim whatever that is… within our waters and which is not claimed by others.
“For China to claim that the whole of the South China Sea belongs to them, I think that is ridiculous,” he told reporters here, today.
Asked if Malaysia’s assertion of its sovereign rights will affect the code of conduct observed by Southeast Asian countries in the disputed area, Saifuddin said that he expects the matter may trigger debate among nations in the region.
“It will be debated, for sure.
“However, it is a claim that we have made. And we will defend our claim.
“Having said that, anyone can challenge and dispute (the claim). And this is not something which is unusual,” he added.
Apart from Malaysia, other countries with claims to the territory are Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.
In October, Malaysia's Film Censorship Board ordered the removal of a scene from the animated movie "Abominable" which showed a map with China's "nine-dash line".
The board gave the green light for the movie to be screened in local cinemas without the scene depicting the map.