Military build-up on Philippine island risks conflict spillover to nearby Malaysia, says Khaled Nordin

Malaysia does not perceive the military build-up on the Philippine island of Balabac as a direct threat, but its proximity to Malaysia raises concerns about potential geopolitical spillovers.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin emphasized that Malaysia acknowledges the Philippines' right to enhance its defense with US cooperation.

Furthermore, Malaysia aims to balance its national defense posture by achieving a 50-50 deployment of Malaysian Armed Forces personnel between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak, in light of potential regional conflicts.

Balabac Island's inclusion in the US-Philippines Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement has heightened attention in Malaysia due to geopolitical tensions in the region.

KOTA TINGGI, Oct 3 — Malaysia does not view the military build-up on the southern Philippine island of Balabac as a direct threat, said Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

The defence minister said it was the Philippines’ right and prerogative to cooperate with the US military to strengthen its defence capabilities.

“For us, it is not the military buildup on Balabac Island itself that worries us, but rather its proximity to Malaysia.

“Should any dispute or conflict occur, even a minor one in geopolitical terms, the repercussions could spill over into Malaysia,” he told reporters after officiating the groundbreaking ceremony for an Islamic orphanage here today.

On a separate matter, Mohamed Khaled said the government aims to achieve a 50-50 ratio in the deployment of Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) personnel between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak.

He said the move was intended to ensure a more balanced national defence posture.

At present, about two-thirds of MAF personnel are stationed in Peninsular Malaysia, with the remainder based in Sabah and Sarawak.

Mohamed Khaled said there are about 20,000 active MAF personnel in Sabah and Sarawak at any one time.

“We aim for a balanced deployment based on the 50-50 ratio.

“This is part of the national defense strategy, while taking into account of Sabah and Sarawak’s geographical proximity to areas where conflicts could potentially arise,” he said, adding that defence readiness must be enhanced to address any potential conflict, confrontation or provocation in the region.

Balabac Island is one of nine Philippine sites covered by the Philippines-US Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which allows rotational access by US forces for activities including joint training and exercises.

The island is about 50 kilometres from Sabah’s Pulau Banggi, and increased military activity there has drawn attention in Malaysia amid wider geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea and the Philippines’ longstanding claim over Sabah, which Malaysia rejects.

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马来西亚并不认为菲律宾巴拉巴克岛上的军事集结构成直接威胁，但该岛与马来西亚距离很近，因此引发了人们对潜在地缘政治溢出的担忧。

国防部长拿督斯里穆罕默德·卡立·诺丁强调，马来西亚承认菲律宾有权与美国合作加强国防。

此外，鉴于潜在的区域冲突，马来西亚旨在通过在马来西亚半岛和沙巴、砂拉越之间部署 50:50 的马来西亚武装部队人员，来平衡其国防态势。

由于该地区的地缘政治紧张局势，巴拉巴克岛被纳入美菲加强防务合作协议引起了马来西亚的关注。

哥打丁宜，10月3日讯——马来西亚外交部长拿督斯里穆罕默德·哈立德·诺丁表示，马来西亚并不认为菲律宾南部巴拉巴克岛上的军事集结构成直接威胁。

国防部长表示，菲律宾有权与美国军方合作，以加强其国防能力。

“对我们来说，真正让我们担忧的不是巴拉巴克岛上的军事集结本身，而是它与马来西亚的距离。

“如果发生任何争端或冲突，即使是地缘政治上的小争端或冲突，其影响也可能蔓延到马来西亚，”他今天在为一所伊斯兰孤儿院主持奠基仪式后告诉记者。

穆罕默德·哈立德表示，政府的目标是在马来西亚半岛和沙巴、砂拉越之间实现马来西亚武装部队人员部署的 50:50 比例。

他表示，此举旨在确保国家国防态势更加平衡。

目前，马来西亚武装部队约有三分之二的人员驻扎在马来西亚半岛，其余人员驻扎在沙巴和砂拉越。

穆罕默德·哈立德表示，任何时候在沙巴和砂拉越都有大约 20,000 名马来西亚武装部队现役人员。

“我们的目标是按照 50-50 的比例进行均衡部署。”

“这是国家防御战略的一部分，同时也要考虑到沙巴和砂拉越地理位置靠近可能出现冲突的地区，”他说道，并补充说，必须加强国防准备，以应对该地区任何潜在的冲突、对抗或挑衅。

巴拉巴克岛是菲律宾与美国签署的《加强防务合作协议》（EDCA）涵盖的九个菲律宾地点之一，该协议允许美军轮流进入该岛进行联合训练和演习等活动。

该岛距离沙巴州的邦吉岛约 50 公里，由于南海地缘政治紧张局势加剧，以及菲律宾长期以来对沙巴的主权声索（马来西亚对此予以否认），该岛日益频繁的军事活动引起了马来西亚的关注。

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