Situated within 200 nautical miles of Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Beting Petinggi Ali shoals have been under Malaysia’s sovereignty since 1963, following the formation of Malaysia through the merger of Sarawak, Sabah, and the Federation of Malaya.
In 2018, Sarawak officially designated the shoals as a marine national park—the largest in the country.
However, in 2015, China began asserting its controversial ‘Nine-Dash Line’ claim over the majority of the South China Sea by deploying Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels to the waters surrounding Beting Petinggi Ali.
Citing past incidents, The Straits Times reported on July 14, 2020, that CCG and Chinese navy vessels had entered Malaysian waters 89 times between 2016 and 2019. Despite efforts by the Royal Malaysian Navy to turn them away, these vessels often lingered in the area.
According to an Asia Live report dated October 19 of the previous year, South China Sea analyst Ray Powell revealed that the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Kedah-class offshore patrol vessel KD Selangor was tracking CCG vessel CCG 5102, spotted just 70 nautical miles off the coast of Miri—well within Malaysia’s EEZ.
Powell, who serves as director of SeaLight.Live and co-host of the Indo-Pacific Podcast, described the presence of several CCG ships in the region as a troubling indicator of China’s increasing maritime assertiveness. The South China Sea is a highly strategic area, rich in natural resources such as oil and gas, and one of the world’s most vital shipping routes.
Nonetheless, there are signs of strengthened national defence. The federal government recently announced plans to construct a new naval base in Bintulu, aimed at enhancing East Malaysia’s maritime security amid growing tensions with China. The base is expected to be operational by 2030 and will play a key role in protecting Sarawak and Sabah from continued Chinese incursions into Malaysia’s EEZ.
Safeguarding Malaysia’s Maritime Interests
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) remains central to protecting the nation’s maritime sovereignty. Entrusted with enforcing maritime law, safeguarding lives and property, and ensuring security across the Malaysian Maritime Zone, the agency remains on constant alert in response to escalating regional threats.
Speaking to The Borneo Post, an MMEA spokesperson based in Miri said the agency has intensified its patrols along the Sarawak coastline, particularly to protect local fishing communities and maintain security in the region.
“Patrol teams have been actively deployed to oversee the maritime boundary and provide protection against potential intrusions by foreign elements, including the CCG and vessels operating without permission in Malaysian waters,” says the spokesperson.
