No foreign vessels intruding Malaysian waters - Hishammudin

No boats or vessels from China have intruded Malaysian waters in the South China Sea, as alleged, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

He said the matter has been confirmed by Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin, after closely monitoring the area.

“RMN has been monitoring it closely. As the person in charge, I was relieved when he (Ahmad Kamarulzaman) confirmed that our waters are safe," he said at a press conference after witnessing the firing of the first STARSTREAK missile at the Tanjung Logok, on Monday .

Hishammuddin was commenting on the safety of the Malaysian waters near Beting Patinggi Ali after reports emerged about the presence of boats from China in the area.

“The Foreign ministry has the authority to discuss about any disputes on the South China Sea with the foreign ministries of other countries.

“Our emphasis at the Ministry of Defence is in the military context, so if it's true and there are any build up of military assets, we will take it seriously,” he said.

Hishammuddin stressed that he will not compromise if there are outsiders who are trying to establish military activities in the country’s waters.

Last week, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said about 100 China-registered boats and vessels have been detected in Malaysian waters near Beting Patinggi Ali.