Lam Choong Wah, a former fellow at the Research for Social Advancement centre, told FMT that Asean defence ministers should call for an urgent meeting to discuss this recent development.

“Indonesia has also voiced their reservations about this event. We should adopt multilateral means to deal with this. Malaysia can also call upon the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency for discussions,” he said.

MPs should also establish a bipartisan group to monitor developments after Australia announced plans to buy nuclear-powered submarines as part of the new security alliance.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob raised red flags over Australia’s plans in a phone call with Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday, saying the pact was bound to spark a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region.

Lam said Malaysia should implement the Asean neutrality zone which prohibits the use of nuclear-powered vessels in the region.

He said Malaysia has so far not declared a ban on nuclear-powered vessels. “In fact, Malaysia regularly conducts joint military exercises involving US nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and Royal Navy nuclear submarines,” he said.

Former deputy defence minister Liew Chin Tong who is on Pakatan Harapan’s security committee, said a clear declaration by Malaysia on the issue would be crucial for regional peace.