The government says Malaysia does not recognise China’s claims in the South China Sea, as outlined in the 'China Standard Map Edition 2023'.

Sabah Perikatan Nasional chairman Ronald Kiandee says this will put to rest all concerns and speculation on the matter.

He says he will answer the Perikatan Nasional chairman during the Prime Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat.

This comes in the wake of a report that maritime experts have expressed reservations about Putrajaya rushing into such agreements.

The drills come as China and the US ramp up military diplomacy in the region.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

The near-miss off the Spratly Islands on Sunday was the latest in a steady string of stand-offs between China and the Philippines in the contested waterway.

Beijing claims almost all of the resource-rich waterway, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually.

Manila and Beijing have long been locked in a dispute over parts of the South China Sea, almost all of which China insists it has exclusive rights to, rejecting a 2016 international tribunal ruling that its historical claims were without basis.

While the coast guard is still capable of meeting the majority of challenges on the open sea, the time may come when Malaysia should consider beefing up its defence assets.

It accuses China of going against local and international law with the presence of its ships off the coast of Sabah and Sarawak.

Thomas Daniel says the Aukus pact is an indication of US commitment in the Asia Pacific.