Malaysian PM affirms rule of law in handling East Sea issues

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak

In his opening remark at the 28th Asia-Pacific Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur on June 2, the PM said the engaged parties must hold steadfast to the principles of non-use of force and the peaceful settlement of disputes, and not take any action to further aggravate the situation and increase tensions.

The parties involved should not stray from the proven path of dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, he said, adding he remains hopeful that good sense will prevail.

Najib also expressed Malaysia's strong commitment towards the recent Joint Declaration of the ASEAN Defence Ministers on Defence Cooperation towards a Peaceful and Prosperous ASEAN Community, describing it as a significant step forward in strengthening the political-security pillar of the ASEAN Community.

He noted that Southeast Asian nations want peace, prosperity and predictability besides being independent, strong and economically vibrant.

"Our aim is to have a region where nations respect each other while observing rules and norms, and where honour and dignity are manifested by peaceful intentions, visionary policies and good leadership,” the PM said.

"We aspire to a region where the strongest guarantees of peace and prosperity lie in nations working together, not against each other," he added.

Only with ensuring peace, the region can attract investment, encourage innovations and create jobs for locals, he affirmed.