Mumtaz Nawi (PN-Tumpat) mooted the idea in view of the ongoing dispute with Beijing over the South China Sea, and having regard to the fact that Malaysia would take over as chair of the Asean regional grouping next year.

Mumtaz said several other countries in the region had already done so to reflect their sovereignty over other parts of the vast sea.

She said Malaysia should emulate the Philippines, which calls its territorial waters the “West Philippine Sea”, Indonesia which has named their portion the “North Natuna Sea”, and Vietnam, the “East Sea”.

“We should rename the sea Laut Asia Tenggara or Laut Melayu or any other name to stake our claim, so that there is no confusion that arises from its present name,” she said when debating the  Supply Bill 2025.

In August 2023, the foreign ministry said Malaysia did not recognise China’s 2023 standard map, which showed portions of Malaysian waters near Sabah and Sarawak as belonging to China.

Stressing that the map had “no binding effect on Malaysia”, Wisma Putra, however, conceded that the competing claims had to be handled carefully due to the complexity and sensitivity of the matter.

Beijing has delineated a “nine-dash line” to assert its “historic claim” over 90% of the contested waters. Meanwhile, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also stake a claim to smaller portions of the South China Sea.

Separately, Mumtaz asked the government to explain why Sabah and Sarawak continue to enjoy diesel subsidy which was removed in the peninsula earlier this year.

She asked whether this was a strategic move ahead of the state polls which Sabah must hold by October 2025 and Sarawak, in 2027.