PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is ready to negotiate with China over issues surrounding claims on the South China Sea.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had raised the matter during his four-eye meeting with China president Xi Jinping during his official visit there.
He said the South China Sea dispute was brought up because Malaysia's national oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) had one of its largest oil rigs operating in the said waters.
"At the same time, China is laying claim to the same area. I said as a small nation, Malaysia needed its oil and gas supply, so we have to continue (with the operation of the oil rig).
"But if the condition is that we must hold discussions, then we are ready to do so," he said at the Prime Minister's Department monthly assembly today.
Anwar also said he highlighted the issue of the Rohingyas during his meeting with Xi, despite knowing that China had a non-intervention policy,
"China is close to Myanmar, but they said they have a non-intervention policy.
"I said we too did not want to interfere, but there are nearly 200,000 Rohingya refugees here (Malaysia), so whether we like it or not, what's happening in Myanmar is affecting us too.
"So at least we've raised this issue, and the China leadership said they will continue their discussions with Myanmar," he added.