KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Disruptions, unsafe encounters or legal ambiguities in the South China Sea could threaten Malaysia’s economic stability, national supply chains and regional food security, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah.
In his keynote address at the 9th Maritime Institute of Malaysia (Mima) South China Sea Conference 2026 here today, Hasbi stressed that maintaining freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce in these waters was a national imperative rather than an abstract legal principle.
“The South China Sea is the physical bridge connecting Peninsular Malaysia with Sabah and Sarawak. It sustains our domestic trade, powers our offshore energy sector and links our industries to global value chains,” he said.
