KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is expected to begin negotiations this year with Singapore on the demarcation of the maritime boundary in the Strait of Singapore, including between Pulau Batu Putih and Batuan Tengah, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin said Malaysia was also in the process of demarcating the maritime boundary in the South China Sea with Thailand and Vietnam.
Winding up debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, he said Malaysia was sensitive to the overlapping claims on the maritime boundary, including in the South China Sea, and had taken various measures to resolve the issues. He said negotiations on demarcation of the maritime boundary were protracted because they had to consider many factors, including many complex geographical, technical and legal aspects, to ensure a fair and conclusive solution.
On the upheaval in Egypt, Hamzah said Malaysia maintained a position of non-interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign nations resulting from internal problems.
On the oppression of Muslims in Myanmar, he said the Malaysian government urged Myanmar to immediately resolve the conflict there and bring the culprits to book.
“We will continue to urge the Myanmar government to use the Asean platform, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations to ensure the safety and rights of the Rohingya minority,” he said. — Bernama