KUALA LUMPUR: The government and armed forces have been urged to fend off China's intrusions in the country's waters.
Labuan member of Parliament Datuk Rozman Isli said China's military and enforcement actions in the South China Sea had disrupted the country's fisheries and oil and gas activities.
"The government and Armed Forces must take this situation seriously by beefing up defence of our borders, particularly in waters off Sabah and Sarawak.
"We have heard many times that China's actions were 'to protect the rights, interests and sovereignty of China', but the question is, how about Malaysian sovereignty?" he said in a statement today.
Rozman said the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) had identified 23 intrusions into the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) last year.
"The government must demonstrate its firm stand on the nation's safety and sovereignty in the South China Sea, we should not just keep quiet and monitor from a distance a foreign power intruding on our sovereign territory," he said.
Rozman said tensions in South China Sea were expected to escalate following a visit by United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.
He said visits by several European Union members of parliament to the country in December would add to the tensions.
"As we are aware, the China People's Liberation Army (PLA) has conducted five live-fire military exercises in the South China Sea between July 27 and 31, several days ahead of Pelosi's visit to Asia.
"In response, the United States deployed its USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier to the South China Sea," he said.
Rozman said the government and the armed forces should monitor developments in Taiwan as the situation might have an impact on the South China Sea.
He said it was feared that China would increase its military activities in the South China Sea, including in Malaysia's territory.
"The concern has escalated following reports on a number of China's activities in the South China Sea over the past several weeks, which showed China's jet fighters intercepting other aircraft.
"In latest incident, a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft was intercepted in a dangerous manner by the China's fighter jet, posing a grave threat to the aircraft and its crew," he said.
Rozman said Malaysia should step up coordinated maritime, airspace and land patrols to face any threat should there be a full-scale conflict in the South China Sea.
He said the matter must be handled without provoking fear among stakeholders in the South China Sea, such as fishermen and oil and gas players.
"The delay in the delivery of the littoral combat ships (LCS) should not used as an excuse by the RMN to adopt a wait and see approach over the threats in the South China Sea."
In May, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan called on the government to take stern action in defending waters off Sabah.
China's Maritime Enforcement Agency had been reported to have encroached on Kawasari, a gas field off the coast of Sarawak, and affected oil and gas operations by Petronas.
China's maritime vessels patrolling in the South China Sea had also affected small fishermen off Sabah.
In June last year, Malaysia summoned China's ambassador to protest against an intrusion of Malaysia's airspace on May 31.
Sixteen People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft had breached the airspace over waters off Sabah and Sarawak, prompting the Royal Malaysian Air Force to scramble fighter jets.
