Malaysia challenges Philippines' new sea laws over territory dispute
Malaysia prepares official protest against Philippinesʼ recent maritime legislation affecting territorial claims. China already expressed its disagreement with Philippinesʼ new laws about sea zones
Mohamad Alamin‚ Malaysias Deputy Foreign Minister announced plans to send an official note of protest to Philippines regarding their new maritime regulations (which affect both South China Sea and Sabah claims)
The two recently-passed laws by Philippines — Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act — have caused a stir in the region; China has already filed its own complaint about these rules. The Philippines says these laws help protect its sea borders but neighboring countries dont agree with this position
The dispute involves the eastern part of Sabah — a Malaysian state thats been under a long-standing territorial disagreement. The Philippines has kept its claim to this area since colonial times‚ and about 13 years ago their Supreme Court made a decision: the country hasnt given up its rights to the region
Mohamad told parliament that after looking at the documents Malaysia found these new laws touch upon their rights to Sabah: “We will send a protest note today to demonstrate our commitment to defending Sabahs sovereign rights and the sovereignty of our country“
The Philippines foreign ministry has not yet responded to this situation — which adds another layer to the already-complex South China Sea territorial discussions
