Ministry, army to decide Yemen pullout

Mat Sabu: Malaysia wants to maintain neutrality and avoid foreign conflict

KUALA LUMPUR: The Foreign Ministry and the Royal Malaysian Army will decide on the right time to withdraw Malaysian soldiers from war-torn Yemen, says Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu.

He said Malaysia wants to maintain its neutrality and does not want to be involved in conflicts in other countries, including in the Middle East.

Based on this policy, Malaysia decided to withdraw its soldiers from Saudi Arabia, where they have been on standby to evacuate Malaysians in Yemen.

“We do not want to be drawn into any conflict in the Middle East.

“We want to make friends with all nations, except Israel,” he told reporters during a special session with the media yesterday.

On the South China Sea, Mohamad said Malaysia wanted the area to be a zone of peace and neutrality.

“The South China Sea is of economic importance to us. We do not want to place warships there. Butwe need patrol boats to maintain security, especially from pirates as we want the shipping lanes in the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea kept safe,” he added.

Asked to comment on the buildup of military infrastructure by China at the South China Sea, he said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was expected to raise the matter during his visit to China soon.

“We don’t want them (China) to bring conflict to the area by establishing its military presence as a show of strength,” he said, adding that he understood that ships are free to sail in international waters.

Asked on the challenges during his first month as minister, Mohamad said his biggest hurdle was time management.

“I work from morning to midnight. People come to congratulate me, companies drop by for visits, friends are constantly calling me.

“I overcome all this by keeping my cool, laughing when I can, and making jokes,” he said.

Mohamad added that after a busy day at the office, he would go home and unwind by watching the news.

We don’t want them (China) to bring g conflict to the area. Mohamad Sabu