Malaysia must prepare navy for possible conflict in South China Sea, foreign minister warns

Malaysia’s navy needs upgrading to deal with the possibility of armed conflict in the South China Sea, the country’s foreign minister said on Thursday ahead of the long-awaited release of a Defence White Paper expected to outline a 10-year plan for the armed forces.Saifuddin Abdullah spelled out in parliament how China’s coastguard vessels had a 24-hour presence around the South Luconia Shoals off the Malaysian state of Sarawak in Borneo, adding that ships under the Royal Malaysian Navy “are…