Monitor global tensions to protect Straits of Malacca, PN tells govt

strait of malacca — The Straits of Malacca accounts for roughly 40% of global trade, including the bulk of oil flows from the Middle East to Asian economic powerhouses, including China, Japan and South Korea. (EPA Images pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The opposition bloc has urged Putrajaya to monitor geopolitical developments and take proactive steps to safeguard Malaysia’s national interests following concerns over the fate of Straits of Malacca in the aftermath of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the intensifying strategic and economic rivalry among major powers, particularly the US and China, is increasingly shaping developments in Southeast Asia.

Takiyuddin said the rising military presence in regional waters, competition over critical sea lanes, supply chain realignments, and growing economic pressure tactics carry significant implications for Malaysia and the region.

“PN emphasises the importance of ensuring that Southeast Asia, particularly the Straits of Malacca, remains free from foreign influence, militarisation, or strategic pressure by any external power,” he said in a statement today.

Bloomberg reported yesterday that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the US was reviving anxiety over the fate of the Straits of Malacca, Asia’s most crucial strategic bottleneck.

The straits, located between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, link the Indian and Pacific Oceans through a channel just 2.7km at its tightest point, more than 10 times narrower than the Strait of Hormuz.

It carries roughly 40% of global trade, including the bulk of oil flows from the Middle East to Asian economic powerhouses, including China, Japan and South Korea.

While it appears so far that few ships are getting through, the seas in and around the Straits of Malacca have been a key area where Iran’s dark fleet has transferred oil to other vessels to disguise sales to countries in Asia, mostly China.

On Monday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a “major” defence partnership with Indonesia following a meeting with its defence minister at the Pentagon.

Takiyuddin warned that as one of the world’s most vital maritime trade routes, any attempt to increase external strategic presence or exert influence over the Straits of Malacca risks escalating geopolitical competition and destabilising the region.

He urged the government to ensure that Malaysia is not drawn into strategic or economic rivalries, and to strengthen Asean cooperation to uphold regional stability.

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Monitor global tensions to protect Straits of Malacca, PN tells govt

Perikatan Nasional says the growing strategic and economic rivalry among major powers, particularly the US and China, is increasingly shaping developments in Southeast Asia.