Masidi confident Putrajaya will secure Sabah borders amid Balabac Strait concerns

Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun expressed confidence in the federal government's commitment to safeguarding the state's borders in the Balabac Strait amidst concerns over a US-supported Philippine military development in the area.

He emphasized that border security is under the jurisdiction of Putrajaya and assured that necessary measures are being implemented.

Masidi urged the public to approach geopolitical developments with a measured perspective, warning against premature speculation.

This comes in light of heightened sensitivity due to the Philippines' historical claim over Sabah, which Malaysia rejects.

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 24 — Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun is confident the federal government will safeguard the state's borders in the Balabac Strait, despite concerns surrounding a US-backed Philippine military facility in the region.

Speaking to reporters after the Sabah Carbon Forum today, Masidi said that border security falls under the jurisdiction of Putrajaya.

“It’s under their authority. So, definitely, I’m very sure that our government has done all that is necessary and reasonable to make sure that our borders are well-guarded,” he said.

When asked if Sabah would see additional security reinforcements, Masidi replied, “All I can say is that I don’t think they will allow Sabah to go undefended.”

The minister urged the public to remain objective, warning against statements that could spark unnecessary speculation. He stressed the need for a measured approach to the geopolitical development.

“I don’t think we should emotionalise the issue because there are a lot of issues that are related to that. I think the most important thing is that Sabah is not in any way exposing itself to security breaches just because somebody is building a huge facility.

“We should look at it with a reasonable and cool head. We don’t want to issue a statement that will somewhat lead to a lot of speculation,” he added.

The concerns stem from the upgrade of a Philippine military facility on Balabac island in southern Palawan, situated near the Balabac Strait that separates the Philippines from Sabah. Under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, the US is supporting the development, which includes a 3km airstrip.

This expansion has heightened security sensitivities in Malaysia, particularly given the Philippines’ longstanding claim over Sabah, a claim that Kuala Lumpur firmly rejects.

Regarding a meeting held on September 11, Masidi declined to disclose specific details, noting only that the discussions covered various matters in the best interest of Sabah and the nation.

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沙巴州财政部长拿督斯里马西迪·曼俊表示，他对联邦政府致力于维护该州在巴拉巴克海峡的边界安全充满信心，尽管人们对美国支持的菲律宾在该地区进行军事发展表示担忧。

他强调边境安全属于布城管辖范围，并保证正在采取必要措施。

马西迪敦促公众以冷静的视角看待地缘政治发展，并警告不要过早猜测。

鉴于菲律宾对沙巴的历史主权声索（马来西亚对此予以否认）导致局势高度敏感，这种情况尤为突出。

哥打基纳巴卢，9月24日讯——尽管有人担忧美国支持的菲律宾在该地区设立军事设施，但沙巴州财政部长拿督斯里马西迪·曼俊相信联邦政府将维护该州在巴拉巴海峡的边界安全。

马西迪在今天沙巴碳论坛结束后对记者表示，边境安全属于布城管辖范围。

“这都在他们的管辖范围内。所以，我非常确信，我们的政府已经采取了一切必要和合理的措施，确保我们的边境安全得到充分保障。”他说。

当被问及沙巴是否会增派安保力量时，马西迪回答说：“我只能说，我认为他们不会允许沙巴处于无人防守的状态。”

部长敦促公众保持客观，并警告不要发表可能引发不必要猜测的言论。他强调，在处理地缘政治问题时需要采取审慎的态度。

“我认为我们不应该把这个问题情绪化，因为它牵涉到很多其他问题。我认为最重要的是，沙巴州不会因为有人在建造大型设施就让自己面临任何安全风险。”

“我们应该冷静理性地看待这件事。我们不想发表任何会引发诸多猜测的声明，”他补充道。

这些担忧源于菲律宾在巴拉望岛南部巴拉巴克岛上的一处军事设施的升级改造。该岛位于巴拉巴克海峡附近，巴拉巴克海峡将菲律宾与沙巴分隔开来。根据《加强防务合作协议》，美国正在支持这项开发项目，其中包括一条3公里长的简易机场跑道。

此次扩张加剧了马来西亚的安全敏感性，特别是考虑到菲律宾长期以来对沙巴的主权声索，而吉隆坡坚决否认这一声索。

关于9月11日举行的会议，马西迪拒绝透露具体细节，只指出讨论内容涵盖了对沙巴和国家最有利的各种事项。

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