Malaysia's Response to China's Encroachment in Malaysia's Territorial Water: Impact on National Security

The issue in the South China Sea (SCS) is complex, with different claims from different countries further complicating the power imbalance among claimants. The major disputes are the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands, along with Scarborough Shoal and China's maritime claim stated in its Nine-Dash-Line. In the Spratly Islands disputes, six claimant countries, including Malaysia. China has progressively asserted its claim of ownership over disputed islands in the SCS. They have been implementing the Cabbage strategy to overpower other claimants' areas and artificially increase the size of islands, creating new islands and building ports, military outposts and airstrips. Their move should put Malaysia on high alert, especially regarding the overlapping claims between Malaysia in China. Here, the qualitative approach via secondary data is adopted to discuss and analyse three objectives: to examine the disputes of the claimants in the SCS, China's encroachment into Malaysia's Territorial Waters and its impact on Malaysia's national security and analyse Malaysia policy and response towards China's progressive assertion in the SCS. The materials used for the project include publications from books, article journals, reviews, and white papers. This project concludes that Malaysia's best safeguarding strategy in protecting Malaysia Maritime Zone and its diplomatic relationships is via prevention diplomacy and non-militaristic movement.

Isu di Laut China Selatan merupakan isu yang sangat rumit, dengan pertindihan tuntutan berbeza dari negara pesisir merumitkan lagi ketidakseimbangan kuasa di kalangan pihak yang menuntut. Pertikaian utama adalah Kepulauan Paracel dan Kepulauan Spratly, bersama-sama dengan Scarborough Shoal dan tuntutan maritim China yang dinyatakan dalam Nine-Dash- Line. Dalam pertikaian Kepulauan Spratly, enam negara penuntut, termasuk Malaysia. China secara beransur-ansur menegaskan tuntutan pemilikannya ke atas pulau-pulau yang berada di Laut China Selatan. Mereka telah melaksanakan Cabbage Strategy untuk mengatasi kawasan penuntut lain membina pulau buatan, mewujudkan pulau baru serta membina pelabuhan termasuk pos tentera dan landasan kapal terbang. Malaysia perlu berada dalam keadaan berjaga-jaga, terutamanya berhubung tuntutan bertindih antara Malaysia dan China di Laut China Selatan. Di sini, pendekatan kualitatif melalui data sekunder diguna pakai untuk membincangkan dan menganalisisa tiga objektif; untuk mengkaji negara pesisir yang menuntut kawasan di Laut China Selatan, pencerobohan China ke dalam Laut Wilayah Malaysia dan kesannya terhadap aspek keselamatan negara Malaysia, seterusnya menganalisisa dasar dan tindak balas Malaysia terhadap pendirian progresif China di Laut China Selatan. Bahan yang digunakan untuk projek ini termasuk penerbitan daripada buku, jumal artikel, ulasan, dan kertas putih. Projek ini merumuskan bahawa strategi perlindungan terbaik Malaysia dalam melindungi Zon Maritim Malaysia dan hubungan diplomatiknya adalah melalui diplomasi pencegahan dan gerakan bukan ketenteraan.