The appearance of the USS John C. Stennis, a United States nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, has raised much anxiety and controversy as to whether its presence in the region violates the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEANWFZ) treaty. Since the warship's arrival last week at Westport, Port Klang, there have been numerous protests from the Opposition and NGOs across the nation.

"The Malaysian government has been very irresponsible for permitting the entry of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and this is a blatant transgression of peace and stability within the region," said Chua Tian Chang, vice president of Parti KeADILan Nasional.

In a statement to the press today, Chua, or popularly known as Tian Chua, expressed concern over the lack of openness in the use of port facilities by the Malaysian government and the US military.

"The Barisan Alternatif firmly believes that Malaysia should maintain an independent diplomatic policy and should also refrain from providing support to whichever military superpower. A visit from a US nuclear-powered warship has made a mockery of Dr Mahathir's anti-imperialist stand," he said.

However, according to Mak Joon Nam, Director of Research, Malaysian Institute of Maritime Affairs (Mima), the ship's presence does not interfere with the sovereignty of our country, as it is merely in transit.

"The vessel is very safe, and it does not pose a security threat to the nation.

"It has been confirmed that the ship is nuclear powered. However, it is US policy to neither confirm nor deny the fact that it is nuclear-powered, or whether there is a presence of nuclear weapons on board," he said.

The SEANWFZ treaty, signed on Dec 15, 1995 in Bangkok at the fifth Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, requires every member state not to "develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over nuclear weapons; station or transport nuclear weapons by any means; or test or use nuclear weapons."

It also outlaws the dumping of radioactive wastes or materials anywhere in the zone, and requires all states to maintain the International Atomic Energy Agency's safeguards over their nuclear facilities. Each state is to decide individually whether to allow foreign ships or aircraft (which could be nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed) to visit or transit through their airspace or territorial waters.

With the SEANWFZ treaty, Southeast Asia becomes the fifth geographic area to be declared a zone free of nuclear weapons.

The arsenals of the five nuclear-weapon states (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States) are the subject of a treaty protocol which is open for signature by the five countries. None of the five powers has signed the protocol.

Meanwhile, Prof. Zakaria Ahmad, director of Unit Pengajian Strategik & Keselamatan, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, agreed that there had not been any breach of national security policies, as there is no obligation for the Malaysian government to refuse the docking of the USS John C. Stennis, due to the fact that US had not signed the protocol.

"There are no restrictions against the movement of warships in international waters," he said.

Nevertheless, the youth wing of Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) condemns the berthing of the USS John C. Stennis, adding that allowing such a vessel to dock is tantamount to the desecration of agreements signed by the Malaysian government, one of which was the 1971 Kuala Lumpur Declaration of the Zone for Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN).

"PRM Youth demands that the Malaysian government to reject all future berthing of nuclear-powered ships or those carrying nuclear weapons on our shores. The government should also come clean on the issue of a secret
agreement signed with the American government allowing the use of Malaysian facilities by the American military. Such an agreement is against the spirit of ZOPFAN and SEANWFZ and should be terminated immediately."

"PRM Youth is of the opinion that allowing such a ship to berth amounts to the stationing of nuclear weapons in Malaysia, albeit temporarily."