KUALA LUMPUR: In his speech, “Building Resilience Through Integration: The Future of Malaysia’s Maritime Strategy”, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin highlighted that Malaysia’s maritime territories are important for its survival as a nation and a global economic region.
He said this on Oct 8 at the Round Table Discussion on the South China Sea, which was organised by the Malaysian Institute of Defence and Security and Bait Al-Amanah at Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur.
He said these maritime areas, especially the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca, are:
“… the lifeblood of our sovereignty, our prosperity and the future of our homeland.”
“This is an important economic corridor,” he explained, “and a battleground for the emergence and collision of various traditional and non-traditional threats.”
He acknowledged that there are gaps in the country’s maritime governance that can be regarded as an opportunity to ensure both maritime safety and continuity are preserved.
“For this reason, sectors such as fisheries, trade, energy, education, technology and coastal communities must be integrated into our strategy for strengthening maritime defence capabilities.”
To strengthen Malaysia’s position, he recommended taking a Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society (WOGOS) approach. This is a comprehensive outlook that involves all stakeholders in government, the industry sector and the general public.
“We need the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen our maritime claims, the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the safety of domestic waters, the Ministry of Transport to protect shipping lanes and the Ministry of Higher Education to produce world-class maritime talents,” he said.
“Through WOGOS, we can implement better coordination, policy harmonisation, intelligence sharing and the efficient and effective use of resources.”
He said the Defence Ministry recommends establishing a National Maritime Council to steer and implement the WOGOS strategy.
He explained that while defence remains the core of the nation’s security, Malaysia’s seas present a stage that affects all aspects of life.
Besides physical threats – piracy, smuggling and intrusion – Khaled pointed out that threats today also take digital and economic forms.
“Cyber attacks can cripple our ports. Digital disruption can affect shipping lanes. Meanwhile, foreign intelligence and espionage can jeopardise activities on our oil and gas platforms.”
He said South China Sea disputes can be detected in cyberspace. Where certain parties are testing and challenging our digital infrastructure, while simultaneously threatening our waters.
He also stressed that maritime security is a collective responsibility, with coastal communities acting as guardians for their respective areas, the private sector to drive innovation in technology and logistics, and universities to form new maritime-related ideas.
“WOGOS is not an abstract idea. It is a paradigm shift that we desperately need because it is not possible for us to promote cooperation, communication and coordination if every institution moves alone.”
Working in silos also could lead to the waste of limited resources and eventually weaken the nation’s security defences.
“Why do we need such a drastic shift? Because we are faced with extraordinary challenges, and such challenges demand that we find inspiration and mastery of an equal level.”
He pointed to the fleet of fishing flotillas used by certain countries to normalise their activities in the South China Sea.
“This action aims to assert their position as the de facto owner of the area in reality.”
He also pointed out that the countries’ media has been planting the mindset in their citizens that the South China Sea belongs to them using social media and other platforms, to legitimise their claim to the international community.
“Malaysia must prove that we can act with firmness and unity, not just empty talk.
“Malaysia’s strategy has always been guided by pragmatism in defence of our national interest. Ours is not a policy of theatrics, but of realism.
“We do not escalate for the sake of escalation, nor do we indulge in zero-sum games. Our pragmatism must never be mistaken for passivity.”
Reference : SECURING MALAYSIA’S MARITIME BORDERS | The Star