KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 26): Beting Patinggi Ali, a shoal off the coast of Sarawak, is not a subject for discussion on the Asean platform, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin stated on Wednesday.

The resource-rich area in the South China Sea, located about 80 nautical miles from Tanjung Baram, Sarawak, is clearly within Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), he told the Dewan Rakyat during the oral question-and-answer session.

"As Malaysia assumes the Asean Chairmanship in 2025, the South China Sea dispute will, of course, be one of our key focus areas,” Mohamad said. “However, Beting Patinggi Ali is not among the issues to be discussed.”

The remarks follow reported sightings of China Coast Guard vessels within Malaysian waters, particularly around Beting Patinggi Ali, raising concerns over escalating tensions in the South China Sea.

A country has exclusive rights to explore and exploit natural resources in its EEZ, which extends up to 200 nautical miles from its coast, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a controversy that has lasted more than a decade marked by Beijing’s rising assertiveness. China has built military bases on disputed islets in the sea and has clashed with naval ships of the Philippines and Indonesia.

Last year, China accused Malaysia of encroaching on areas covered by its Nine-Dash Line, a controversial map used by Beijing to justify its claims in the South China Sea.  

On Monday, Mohamad reaffirmed that there are no diplomatic negotiations with China regarding Beting Patinggi Ali, as Malaysia does not recognise China's maritime claims or any maps covering its territorial waters.

Mohamad was responding to Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (Perikatan Nasional–Arau), who asked about Malaysia’s strategic approach as Asean Chair in addressing the South China Sea dispute.

The Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency conduct regular patrols, surveillance, and enforcement to uphold the country's sovereignty and protect economic activities, including hydrocarbon exploration, he noted.

He also stressed that exploration activities in Beting Patinggi Ali are ongoing, including operations at the Kasawari and Timi gas fields off the coast of Sarawak, managed by national oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd.

"In addition, a new gas field is also being developed in the area by Shell Malaysia," he added.

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