Kota Kinabalu: The planned upgrading of United States military facilities on Philippines’ Balabac Island, located just about 50km from Pulau Banggi, warrants closer security attention despite its potential benefits.
Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) Chairman Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar said Sabah should not treat the development as an immediate threat, but neither should it underestimate the strategic implications of a growing military presence so close to its waters.
“National security planning must look at the long term because geopolitical conditions, governments and policies can change,” he said in a statement.
Zulkarnain said enhanced facilities in Balabac could improve maritime surveillance, intelligence sharing and joint action against piracy, kidnapping, smuggling and armed groups operating from southern Philippines.
He noted that 25 kidnapping cases were recorded in Sabah waters between 2000 and 2020, although no ransom kidnapping incidents had been reported along the east coast since January 2020.
At the same time, he said growing US-China rivalry in the Indo-Pacific made it essential for Malaysia to strengthen its own security preparedness.
The Sulu claim issue also remained a concern despite Malaysia’s legal victory in December 2025, when the Paris Court of Appeal annulled the US$14.9 billion award against Malaysia.
Zulkarnain said Sabah must maintain strong ties with the US, China and the Philippines, while ensuring its security interests and sovereignty were never compromised.
“Sabah must remain peaceful and must not become a battleground for major-power rivalry,” he said.