Malaysia’s Ministry Foreign Affairs, Wisma Putra launching a police probe for investigating leaked diplomatic note which was sent from China to Malaysian Embassy in Beijing on February 18, whereas on August 29 a Filipino news portal published an article related to this diplomatic communication between China and Malaysia on South China Sea.

Philippine news outlet INQUIRER.net had published a 2 pages diplomatic document in which Beijing reportedly demanded that Malaysia immediately halt all activities in an oil-rich maritime area off Sarawak state on Borneo Island in the South China Sea, “infringed” on China’s sovereignty.

Malaysia is exploring oil and gas reserves in Spratly archipelago which is within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) but in the leaked document, Chinese Foreign Ministry arguing that Kuala Lumpur’s actions in South China Sea “infringe” on China’s sovereignty because this area covered by 9 dash lines (now 10 dash lines) which is the China’s territorial claim in South China Sea on the basis historical maps. Malaysia’s stance on the South China Sea remains unchanged as it will continue to defend its sovereignty, sovereign rights and maritime areas based on the 1979 Malaysia Map. Malaysia Foreign Ministry, “This approach aligns with principles of international law including the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982,” it said on Wednesday (Sept 4). These 9 lines encompassing critical areas of Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands, and the Scarborough Shoal now adding another dash in the east of Taiwan. The nine-dash line overlaps with the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of where six countries have overlapping claims: Brunei, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam.

Sources:

https://www.inquirer.net/412737/malaysia-to-probe-leak-of-chinese-diplomatic-note-over-south-china-searow/

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/04/wisma-putra-to-probe-leaked-diplomatic-notes-between-malaysia-and-china