OGOS 2025
Collective Responsibility Of Asian Countries To Maintain Peace, Stability In South China Sea - Sarawak Premier
KUCHING, 13 August 2025 – The Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Johari Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg has stressed that the fundamental principle of maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea is a collective responsibility requiring multilateral cooperation among all stakeholders.
Speaking at the State Gala Dinner held last night alongside the 24th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), he emphasized that the South China Sea was not merely a strategic waterway but a "shared home" for the region in the spirit of non-alignment as laid down by early leaders of the Asian region.
He noted that prevailing peace, stability and neutrality in the region was attributed to principle of non-alignment as a result of the 1955 Bandung Conference where the concept of Asia as a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) was first introduced.
“In this regard, history has recorded the significant era on non-alignment after the Bandung Conference in 1955 where emerging leaders of Asia at that time such as President Sukarno of Indonesia, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India and Zhou Enlai of China has created a foundation, eventually leading to the concept of ZOPFAN (Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality),” he pointed out.
He told delegates at the dinner that the gathering exemplifies the unified resolve of parties to translate commitments into action in ensuring that the South China Sea remains a zone of cooperation rather than conflict, and prosperity rather than tension.
When asked by reporters about foreign activities within Malaysia's maritime zones, the Premier reaffirmed Malaysia's principled stance of resolving disputes through peaceful diplomacy and adherence to the legal frameworks.
"By prioritizing dialogue over confrontation and respecting established legal frameworks, we transform potential flashpoints into opportunities for cooperative management of shared waters,’ he said.
The Premier opined that Sarawak's hosting of the DOC meeting as particularly symbolic, given the state's strategic geographical significance as the Malaysian region with the longest coastline facing the South China Sea.
This unique position, he noted, gives Sarawak both a deep stake in regional stability and a natural authority in discussions about maritime harmony.
"Just as we've preserved the harmony between land and sea in Sarawak's development, so too must we maintain equilibrium between national rights and regional cooperation in these waters."
Also present were Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Dr. Sim Kui Hian, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary-General, Dato Sri Amran Mohamed Zin, Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Hong Liang, Sarawak Cabinet Ministers; State Secretary, Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar bin Marzuki; Deputy Ministers of the Sarawak Cabinet, and other distinguished guests.