Malaysia's Claims to Spratlys

Malaysia started its claim to the Spratlys in 1979

Malaysia staked its claims to about a dozen tiny
reefs and atolls in the southeastern portion of the
Spratly Islands including:
Commodore Reef
Amboyna Cay
Southwest Shoal
Mariveles Reef
Barque Canada Reef
Development of Malaysia's Claims in
Spratly Islands

Malaysia insisted - are within its proclaimed 200
nautical miles EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) and
should be under Malaysian jurisdiction.
protested against Vietnam when the latter
occupied Amboyna Cay and it started armed
occupation itself in the Spratlys of Swallow Reef
in June 1983 - Five-Power Defence Arrangement
held a naval exercise in the South China Sea
Malaysia renamed the Swallow Reef to Terumbu
Layang-Layang or Pulau Layang-Layang and
established a permanent military presence there.
mid-1990s - Malaysia developed the atoll into an
island resort as an exercise to enhance its claim
over this feature.
Beside Swallow Reef, Malaysia has further
occupied
Dallas Reef (Guangxingzai Jiao, renamed to Terumbu
Ubi by Malaysia),
Mariveles Reef (Nanhai Jiao, renamed to Terumbu
Mantanani by Malaysia) and six other islets.


Base of Malaysia's Claims
Malaysia's claim is presumably based on the
conviction that the islands are situated on its
continental shelf, well within its declared
exclusive economic zone (EEZ), security and its
proximity to the mainland.

Exploitation of Oil and Gas in Spratly
Islands by Malaysia
With its advantage of geographic location to
the Spratlys, Malaysia has been actively
exploiting the oil and gas resources in the
Spratly Islands area, especially the Zengmu
Ansha (James Shoal) area and the Nankang
Ansha (south Luconia Shoal) area.
Malaysia has benefited the most from the
exploitation of the natural resources in
Spratlys.

Malaysia's Attitudes towards Cooperation
and Joint Development
Malaysia has been reluctant on the "Shelving
Disputes and Joint Development" proposed by
China, especially for the development of the
area where Malaysia has developed to oil and
gas fields.
Brunei claims the Spratly Islands
Brunei is one of the countries that claim some islands
(reefs) in this Spratly.
However, Brunei claims made unlike the others
country.
Brunei claims - 1984 - was not officially part of Brunei
does not claim the Spratly Islands for other purposes.
Brunei only make a claim on part of Louisa Reefs on or
by applying the law are enshrined in international law,
namely the EEZ zone.
EEZ claims on the islands are only for the purpose of
commercial fishing (fishing zone). However, Brunei
claims not openly or formally.