Malaysia protests new Philippine maritime laws that it says infringe on its territory

Malaysia protests Philippine laws claiming Sabah, escalating tensions in South China Sea, angering China and US involvement fears.

Malaysia has protested new maritime laws in the Philippines that it says encroach on its territory, a government official said Friday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamad Alamin said Malaysia sent a protest note on Thursday over the Philippine laws. Experts have found that reference documents related to the laws restated Manila's long-standing claim over the oil-rich Malaysian state of Sabah in northern Borneo, he said.

Last week, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, which reaffirmed the country’s maritime territories and right to resources, including in the South China Sea. They further cement Manila’s rejection of Chinese claims to virtually the entire South China Sea and stipulate jail terms and stiff fines for violators. The laws have also angered China.

China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia and Taiwan all claim parts of the South China Sea. Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and naval forces in the sea have surged since last year, sparking fears that the United States — Manila’s longtime treaty ally — might get drawn into a major conflict.

Mohamad Alamin was quoted by local media as saying in Parliament on Thursday that the new Philippine laws extend its claims into Malaysian boundaries mapped out in 1979 that were internationally recognized. He said the protest note demonstrated Malaysia's commitment to defend its sovereignty.

Sabah, which is two hours away by boat from the southern Philippines, and neighboring Sarawak on Borneo became part of Malaysia in 1963. The Philippines has long laid claims to Sabah, which was once part of the centuries-old sultanate of Sulu.