1 ISSUE: 2020 No. 18 ISSN 2335-6677 RESEARCHERS AT ISEAS – YUSOF ISHAK INSTITUTE ANALYSE CURRENT EVENTS Singapore | 20 March 2020 Malaysia and the South China Sea Dispute: Policy Continuity amid Domestic Political Change Ian Storey* EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Over the past three decades, Malaysia’s policy towards the South China Sea dispute has been largely consistent with only minor recalibrations. • The policy is designed to protect the country’s sovereignty and sovereign rights, uphold international law and foster peace and stability in the South China Sea. • To achieve these policy outcomes, successive governments have pursued three main strategies: defend the country’s claims; de-emphasize the dispute to maintain friendly relations with China; and promote the ASEAN-led conflict management process. • The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, led by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, pursued the same policy and strategies, but with a slightly more critical attitude towards China’s behaviour than its immediate predecessor. • Post-PH governments are likely to adhere to Malaysia’s existing policy on the South China Sea. * Ian Storey is Senior Fellow and editor of Contemporary Southeast Asia at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.