South China Sea disruptions could hit Malaysia’s economy, supply chains, food security

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah emphasized at the 9th Maritime Institute of Malaysia South China Sea Conference 2026 that disruptions or legal ambiguities in the South China Sea pose threats to Malaysia's economic stability and regional food security.

Highlighting the country's heavy reliance on maritime trade, he underlined the importance of freedom of navigation and the proactive building of resilience against threats, such as deceptive shipping practices.

He reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to resolving South China Sea disputes peacefully through dialogue and adherence to international law, supported by enhanced vessel screening and maritime intelligence operations.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Disruptions, unsafe encounters or legal ambiguities in the South China Sea could threaten Malaysia’s economic stability, national supply chains and regional food security, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah.

In his keynote address at the 9th Maritime Institute of Malaysia (Mima) South China Sea Conference 2026 here today, Hasbi stressed that maintaining freedom of navigation and unimpeded lawful commerce in these waters was a national imperative rather than an abstract legal principle.

“The South China Sea is the physical bridge connecting Peninsular Malaysia with Sabah and Sarawak. It sustains our domestic trade, powers our offshore energy sector and links our industries to global value chains,” he said.

Highlighting the nation’s reliance on maritime trade, Hasbi said more than 96.4 per cent of Malaysia’s total international trade was seaborne.

He said Malaysian ports handled 33.07 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, with Port Klang recording 15.14 million TEUs to rank as the world’s 10th-busiest container port in the Lloyd’s List One Hundred Ports 2026 ranking.

Meanwhile, Hasbi said the Port of Tanjung Pelepas handled 14.03 million TEUs, becoming the first single terminal in the country to surpass the 14-million-TEU threshold.

“This high level of connectivity also means that any disruption in the South China Sea instantly threatens our economic stability, national supply chains and regional food security,” he said.

Hasbi said conflicts in the Black Sea, Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz had shown how geopolitical tensions could disrupt maritime trade, increase freight and insurance costs, force vessels to take alternative routes and fuel inflation.

He also highlighted the risks posed by dark fleet or shadow fleet vessels, which engage in deceptive shipping practices such as illegal ship-to-ship transfers, disabling Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and operating without valid insurance or meeting required safety standards.

“The lesson for our region is crystal clear: resilience cannot be reactive; it must be built proactively,” he said.

Hasbi also stressed that the Transport Ministry, together with the Marine Department Malaysia and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), had intensified vessel screening and maritime intelligence operations to detect and deter illicit shipping activities.

The measures include the use of advanced Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), International Maritime Organization (IMO) registration verification and integrated port database cross-checks, in line with IMO Resolution A.1192(33).

“We will not allow our waters or ports to become safe havens for non-compliant shipping activities that endanger innocent lives and our marine environment,” he said.

Reaffirming Malaysia’s position, Hasbi said disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully through dialogue, restraint and adherence to international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The 9th Mima South China Sea Conference 2026, themed “South China Sea 2026: Rules, Resilience, and Regional Order”, brings together policymakers, diplomats, academics, industry representatives and maritime experts to discuss regional maritime challenges and cooperation.

Also in attendance were representatives from the Australian High Commission, the Delegation of the European Union, the Embassy of Japan, the Embassy of the United States, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the High Commission of Canada. — Bernama

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马来西亚交通部副部长拿督哈斯比·哈比布拉在2026年马来西亚海事研究所第九届南海会议上强调，南海的混乱或法律模糊对马来西亚的经济稳定和区域粮食安全构成威胁。

他强调该国对海上贸易的严重依赖，并着重指出航行自由的重要性，以及积极增强抵御诸如欺骗性航运行为等威胁的能力。

他重申马来西亚致力于通过对话和遵守国际法和平解决南海争端，并加强船舶检查和海上情报行动。

吉隆坡，10 月 13 日讯——马来西亚交通部副部长拿督哈斯比·哈比博拉表示，南海的混乱、不安全的遭遇或法律上的模糊不清可能会威胁马来西亚的经济稳定、国家供应链和区域粮食安全。

哈斯比今天在马来西亚海事学院（MIMA）2026年南海会议第九届会议上发表主旨演讲时强调，维护这些水域的航行自由和畅通无阻的合法贸易是一项国家要务，而不是一项抽象的法律原则。

他说：“南海是连接马来西亚半岛与沙巴和砂拉越的天然桥梁。它维系着我们的国内贸易，为我们的海上能源产业提供动力，并将我们的产业与全球价值链连接起来。”

哈斯比强调马来西亚对海上贸易的依赖，称马来西亚超过 96.4% 的国际贸易都是通过海运完成的。

他表示，到 2025 年，马来西亚港口将处理 3307 万个标准箱（TEU），其中巴生港将处理 1514 万个标准箱，在《劳氏日报》2026 年全球百大港口排名中位列第十。

与此同时，哈斯比表示，丹戎帕拉帕斯港处理了 1403 万个标准箱，成为该国第一个单港吞吐量超过 1400 万标准箱的港口。

他说：“这种高度互联互通也意味着，南海的任何动荡都会立即威胁到我们的经济稳定、国家供应链和区域粮食安全。”

哈斯比表示，黑海、红海和霍尔木兹海峡的冲突表明，地缘政治紧张局势会如何扰乱海上贸易，增加货运和保险成本，迫使船舶选择其他航线，并加剧通货膨胀。

他还强调了暗船队或影子船队带来的风险，这些船只从事欺骗性的航运行为，例如非法船对船货物转移、禁用自动识别系统 (AIS) 以及在没有有效保险或不符合所需安全标准的情况下运营。

他说：“这对我们地区来说是一个非常明确的教训：韧性不能是被动的，而必须主动构建。”

哈斯比还强调，交通部与马来西亚海事局和马来西亚海事执法机构（MMEA）一起，加强了船舶检查和海上情报行动，以发现和阻止非法航运活动。

这些措施包括使用先进的船舶交通服务 (VTS)、国际海事组织 (IMO) 注册验证和综合港口数据库交叉检查，符合 IMO A.1192(33) 号决议。

“我们绝不允许我们的水域或港口成为不合规航运活动的避风港，这些活动危及无辜生命和我们的海洋环境，”他说。

哈斯比重申了马来西亚的立场，表示南海争端应通过对话、克制和遵守国际法（包括1982年《联合国海洋法公约》）来和平解决。

第九届南海会议（2026 年）以“2026 年南海：规则、韧性和区域秩序”为主题，汇聚了政策制定者、外交官、学者、行业代表和海事专家，共同探讨区域海洋挑战与合作。

出席者还包括澳大利亚高级专员公署、欧盟代表团、日本大使馆、美国大使馆、中华人民共和国大使馆和加拿大高级专员公署的代表。——马新社

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