A report in The Diplomat said although it seemed to indicate a change in policy, it was not so as Malaysia had been gradually hardening its stance on this issue.

The report was referring to Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s statement on Monday that if reports that China was placing military assets in the Spratlys were true, it would force Malaysia into a “pushback” against China.

“If the reports we’ve received from various sources regarding the buildup and placement of military assets in the Spratlys are true – this forces us in a pushback against China,” Hishammuddin had said. However, he ruled out placing Malaysian military assets on the islands to challenge China.

China claims most of the South China Sea but Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan also claim parts of the territory.

The Diplomat said headline-grabbing quotes by Malaysian officials often raised questions about whether Malaysia would be taking a much tougher stance on the issue.

However, it said, the measures outlined by Hishammuddin – such as jointly holding China to its word on non-militarisation in the Spratlys, and closer coordination with fellow Asean claimant states Vietnam and the Philippines -“represented part of the country’s relatively increased activism on the issue which have been privately in the works for a while and were subsequently disclosed publicly”.

The report observed that while more such moves by Malaysia were to be expected, Putrajaya had not abandoned it’s “playing it safe” approach to the South China Sea – protecting its claims but doing so in a way that does not undermine its important relationship with China, while ensuring regional stability and following international law.

This, the report said, was due to several factors including “the geographical location of Malaysia’s claims, the history of Malaysia’s relationship with China as well as the limitations of Malaysia’s own military capabilities”.