KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has called on Western superpowers to play their role in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea and not bring Middle East-like proxy wars to Asia.
Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu called on the United States and European nations to engage in discussions to maintain peace in the Southeast Asian region.
He said despite Russia’s weak economy, the superpower nevertheless possesses various weapons, including a new generation of missiles.
In view of this, he said European nations are also speeding up and modernising weapons to compete with Russia.
He added that with the exception of geopolitical tensions brought about by the Cold War, there have been no other major conflicts between Europe and Russia since World War 2.
“We are proud of the progress and peace achieved in Europe and Russia.
“However, I emphasise that proxy wars are being fought in the Middle East. Groups are being funded and sponsored, of which, Libya is a clear example of this.
“I call upon ‘the Americans and the Europeans’ to not bring proxy wars to Asia, especially in the South China Sea.
“We are aware that China is emerging as a new superpower, and Malaysia will continue to engage with the country,” he said.
Mohamad conveyed this message during a dinner event on Saturday night, held in conjunction with the Munich Security Conference 2020 (MSC2020) in Germany, which was attended by military top brass and industry players.
The MSC2020, which ends today, is held to address pressing global security concerns, including arms control, challenges to regional security, missile dialogue initiatives, multilateralism and global power shifting.
Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry in a statement said that Mohamad’s attendance at the conference was part of a credible partnership as outlined in the Defence White Paper (DWP).
It comes under the framework of the defence diplomacy initiative to promote positive defence relations through bilateral and multilateral platforms in addressing regional as well as international defence and security issues of common concern.
“This session was aimed at sharing the essence of the DWP, which outlined long-term defence strategies to ensure Malaysia remains a secure, sovereign and prosperous nation,” the statement read.
During his visit, Mohamad also met with the Malaysian diaspora in Germany.