Defense Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that the armed forces have enough resources to keep an eye on the disputed area around Beting Patinggi Ali in Sarawak waters.

He said that the move was made to keep an eye on a Coast Guard ship from China that was in the area.

Mohamad said it was important for the country to put its military assets in the area with overlapping claims to stop other countries from claiming ownership.

“We are keeping an eye on the situation. The Royal Malaysian Navy, the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and the Malaysian Army are all ready, and we have our assets there.

“We put our assets there to stop a “doctrine of estoppel,” he said after visiting the One Member One House (SASaR) housing project in Sungai Besi.

He said this in response to a news site’s report that the RMN patrol ship KD Kelantan had been sent to the waters of Beting Patinggi Ali to keep an eye on the Chinese Coast Guard ships there.

Mohamad said that Malaysia doesn’t see the presence of Chinese coast guard ships in the area as an encroachment because it is an area where Malaysian and Chinese territories overlap.

He also said that Mindef had given its wish list before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister, resubmitted Budget 2023 on February 24.

“We made the request based on what was most important, such as more money for buying assets and running the ministry,” he said.

Info source – New Straits Times