Malaysia claims an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 334,671 km2 (129,217 sq mi) with 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) from its shores. The EEZ includes much of the southern area of the South China Sea.[1] Malaysia has the 29th longest coastline of 4,675 km (2,905 mi). The coastline comprises two distinct parts of Malaysia. The Peninsular Malaysia's coastline to the west is 2,068 km (1,285 mi) and East Malaysia's coastline is 2,607 km (1,620 mi). They are separated by the South China Sea. The total land area, including inland bodies of water, of Malaysia is 330,803 km2 (127,724 sq mi). Peninsular Malaysia borders Thailand in the north, while East Malaysia borders Brunei and Indonesia on the island of Borneo.[2]

Disputes

Territorial claims in the South China Sea. Malaysia's EEZ has a yellow line.

Territory

Malaysia has territorial disputes in the South China Sea mainly with the People's Republic of China. Malaysia rejects China's nine-dash line claim which covers most of the South China Sea and extends much further than 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) from China's shoreline. The nine-dash line runs through Malaysia's Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea and would reduce Malaysia's EEZ by 2/5th.

In the latter half of the 1970s, Malaysia and the Philippines began referring to the Spratly Islands as included in their own territory.[3] On 11 June 1978, President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines issued the Presidential decree No. 1596, declaring the north-western part of the Spratly Islands (referred to therein as the Kalayaan Island Group) as Philippine territory.[3] Since the 1990s, Malaysia occupies 5 of the Spratly Islands. China's construction of artificial islands and military bases has shifted the balance of power mostly towards China in the South China Sea. Other than the South China Sea, Malaysia has maritime disputes with Indonesia in the Ambalat Block located at the north-western extremity of the Celebes Sea where Indonesia claims an EEZ all the way to Malaysian territorial waters off the coast of Pulau Sipadan that almost triggered a naval standoff in May 2009

Illegal fishing

There are recorded illegal fishing activities by Filipino and Vietnamese fishing boats in Malaysia's EEZ. Such as in 2016 they were caught and detained by the Royal Malaysian Navy. This is due to an increase in demand for seafood. There is a shrinking stock of marine life due to pollution and excessive fishing. Vietnamese fishermen travel further away from Vietnam due to severe water pollution by a Taiwanese steel plant in Vietnam which damaged marine life.[4] On 16 August 2020, a Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) vessel had reportedly shot dead a Vietnamese fisherman and also captured the fishing vessel on which the fishermen used to conduct illegal fishing within Malaysia's rightful EEZ. Officials from the MMEA also confirmed that the Vietnamese fishermen attempted to aggressively ram the MMEA vessel besides throwing diesel bombs on the MMEA vessel to set it on fire.

On 5 April 2016, Indonesian authorities destroyed 23 illegal Vietnamese and Malaysian fishing boats that were trespassing Indonesia's EEZ.[5]

Piracy

There are Indonesian pirates who frequently attack Malaysian, Singaporean and Vietnamese vessels. Among the notable incidents are the hijacking of the MT Orkim Harmony and MT Zafirah. Filipino pirates operate in the Sulu Sea and they can reach the South China Sea. This is near the Malaysian state of Sabah located on the northern portion of Borneo.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Exclusive Economic Zones – Sea Around Us Project – Fisheries, Ecosystems & Biodiversity – Data and Visualization.
  2. ^ CIA. The World Fact Book: Malaysia. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Presidential Decree no. 1596 – Declaring Certain Area Part of the Philippine Territory and Providing for their Government and Administration". Chan Robles Law Library. 11 June 1978. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Filipino fishermen detained, beat up by Malaysian navy". Reuters. GMA News. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
    * "Sabah is being robbed of seafood". Daily Express. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  5. ^ Trefor Moss (5 April 2016). "Indonesia Blows Up 23 Foreign Fishing Boats to Send a Message". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  6. ^ Trung Nguyen (1 December 2015). "Killing of Vietnamese Fisherman in Contested Waters Sparks Outrage". Voice of America. Retrieved 11 November 2016. Earlier Phan Huy Hoang, chairman of Quang Ngai Association of Fisheries, said the fishermen told him that Philippine bandits might be involved in the case. For sure, they are foreign attackers, but their nationality is not known.
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