KUALA LUMPUR – Wisma Putra is still carrying out investigations into the leak of a classified diplomatic note from China to the Malaysian embassy in Beijing, which was published by a Filipino news portal in August.
Addressing the Dewan Rakyat today, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (Rembau-BN) said internal investigations are being carried out to identify the party which leaked the document dated February 18.
“Documents like this should not be made public. Normally, when we (Wisma Putra) receive a document, there will be a watermark, but the one published (by the foreign media) did not have a watermark, (so) we’re not sure (where it was leaked from).
“We will investigate whether other quarters could have leaked (the document), besides the embassy or Malaysian parties,” the minister said in response to a query from Datuk Mumtaz Md Nawi (Tumpat-PN) on the status of probes into the leak.
On August 29, the foreign portal reported that Beijing had demanded that Malaysia immediately cease activities in an oil-rich area off Sarawak waters, accusing Malaysia of encroaching into territories covered by China’s contentious nine-dash line map.
The 2023 edition of China’s “standard map”, which Malaysia previously said it did not recognise, claims that portions of Malaysia’s maritime area near Sabah and Sarawak as well as Taiwan and swathes of the South China Sea belong to China.
Following the publication of the report, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it will launch an internal investigation and file a police report on the leak, stressing that it views the issue with “grave concern”.
It also reaffirmed that both Malaysia and China are committed to resolving the South China Sea issues through peaceful consultation and dialogue without resorting to disputes or violence.
Meanwhile, on a separate matter, Mohamad said that investigations would be conducted if China was found to have strayed from any of its approved diplomatic requests during the docking of two naval ships from the republic at Penang Port recently.
Denying Mumtaz’s assertion that the Penang state government had given the navy vessels an “extraordinary” welcome, Mohamad also said that the reception provided by the state government was merely “lively” (meriah), in light of 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
“(The visit here) received the Defence Ministry’s approval (while) the Foreign Ministry provided diplomatic approval for the vessels to enter our waters and dock here. (Other matters) are under the state government.
“China’s diplomatic request clearly applied (for) a visit to a school involving Confucianism teachings, among others. It is hoped that if there were any deviations from what was requested, it will be investigated,” Mohamad said.
However, he added that for now, it is clear that China’s requests do not violate Malaysia’s diplomatic rules.
The two Chinese navy vessels – Qi Jiguang and JingGangShan – docked in Penang on October 5 on a three-day goodwill visit intended to enhance mutual trust between the naval forces of China and Malaysia.
Opposition lawmaker Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (Indera Mahkota-PN) previously said that the exuberant reception given to China’s naval ships was “absurd”, especially when there are allegations that Malaysian waters in Sabah and Sarawak are being invaded by the republic’s assets.
He questioned whether the Foreign Ministry was informed about this visit, whether the programme was permitted by the Defence Ministry as well and why the school was selected for the programme.
A school in Penang has since lodged a police report over allegations that it was visited by a crew member of the Chinese naval ships, asserting that the visitors were students from China’s Naval University of Engineering and not navy personnel as alleged. – October 14, 2024