This follows the recent controversy over a Facebook post by DAP firebrand Hew Kuan Yau, which was heavily criticised by Malaysian netizens for its pro-China slant.

“The South China Sea belongs to China,” Hew had claimed. “Don’t oppose China just because you are anti-communist.”

Although DAP did not officially distance itself from Hew’s claim, it said that it “affirmed its commitment that any disputes in the South China Sea should be settled in a peaceful manner between the relevant countries in question through diplomatic channels”.

“(This) includes reference to international law such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (Unclos), which China and the four claimant countries (Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia) are signatories of,” said DAP lawmaker Anthony Loke.

The Seremban MP called on Wisma Putra to explain to the Malaysian public the full implications of the PCA ruling on Malaysia, and the steps that the ministry will take to “preserve and protect the integrity and security of Malaysia’s EEZ, which is within the South China Sea”.

The EEZ is the Exclusive Economic Zone where a coastal state assumes jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in its adjacent continental shelf, taken to be a band extending 200 miles from the shore.

“We support Wisma Putra’s continued efforts to push for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea agreement between China and Asean that will provide a framework for resolving the current dispute in a peaceful manner and de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea.”