No parallel with Hormuz situation in Malacca Strait, says defence minister

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — Tensions in the Middle East, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, will not be mirrored in the Strait of Malacca, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said today.

He stressed that the circumstances surrounding both waterways are fundamentally different.

“What happened in Hormuz is not something to be emulated. We will try as far as possible to ensure that it is not repeated in the Strait of Malacca,” he said during a press conference after a walkabout held in conjunction with DSA & Natsec Asia 2026 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) here, today.

Khaled said comparisons between the two chokepoints were misplaced, noting that countries bordering the Strait of Malacca — Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore — do not face the same geopolitical pressures as Iran.

“What is happening to Iran now is not what it has faced all these years — sanctions and similar pressures.

“I think Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, we are not facing the same circumstances as Iran.

“So there is no reason that the Strait of Malacca will face the same situation as the Straits of Hormuz,” he said.

He added that the three nations remain committed to upholding international law and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of global trade.

“The three countries strongly uphold the principles of the United Nations, including free flow of trade and freedom of navigation in the area.

“Unless one of the three countries adopts a stance which is hostile and will jeopardise the economy of the world, then maybe. 

“But the situations are not the same, so don’t equate the Strait of Malacca to the Strait of Hormuz.

“Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, we are countries that abide by the rule of law, international law,” he said.