KUALA LUMPUR: The visit of two Chinese navy vessels to Penang did not violate any national regulation, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the visit of the training ships 'Qi Jiguang' and 'Jinggangshan' from Zhanjiang, China, to Malaysia was also approved by the Defence Ministry.
"Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry only provided diplomatic clearance for the ships to enter our waters and dock in Malaysia.
"There is also a diplomatic request from the Chinese embassy to visit schools with Confucian-based teachings and other sites, which was handled by the authorities.
"If there are any violations regarding this request, we will investigate. However, it is clear that the diplomatic request did not violate any of our regulations," he said during the minister's question time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Mohamad said this in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Mumtaz Md Nawi (PN-Tumpat) regarding the government's stance and actions concerning the visit of the two Chinese navy vessels to Penang.
Mohamad has said the recent docking of the two Chinese ships in Penang is routine and poses no threat to national security.
He also said the visit reflects the long-standing bilateral relations between Malaysia and China, emphasising that it was not the first time that navy ships have docked in our country.
Meanwhile, on the South China Sea conflict, Mohamad said tensions related to this issue occurred outside Malaysia's maritime area, based on the new map established in 1979.
He added that the government had always prioritised Malaysia's sovereignty and national interests in every action taken regarding the matter.
"Issues related to the South China Sea are complex and sensitive. Therefore, these matters need to be handled with caution, diligence, and comprehensiveness.
"Every action taken by the government is based on comprehensive consideration that does not overlook the sovereignty, rights and interests of the nation."
He added that Asean countries, alongside China, were negotiating a Code of Conduct (COC) framework in the South China Sea to prevent conflicts and tensions in the region.
He added that the framework would be developed without prejudice to the territorial and maritime claims of each nation.
"The COC negotiations are being carried out by Asean member states and China through the Asean Joint Working Group, the Asean-China Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea, and the Asean-China Senior Officials Meeting on the implementation of the DOC, based on a single draft negotiation text used as the basis for the discussions.
"The latest COC negotiations at the working group level were held in Xi'an, China, from Sept 10 to 12, 2024, and the Senior Officials Meeting on the DOC took place on Sept 13, 2024."
He said Malaysia was also playing its role as the coordinator for Asean-China dialogue relations for a period of three years, from August 2024 to July 2027.
"Malaysia serves as the co-chair in negotiating the draft COC. In this regard, Malaysia is committed to ensuring that the COC, if agreed upon, will be an effective and substantive document for addressing issues related to the South China Sea.
"Malaysia will ensure that the negotiated COC will not disregard the sovereignty and interests of the nation."