ANKARA

Malaysia's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it will launch a police probe into the leak of a diplomatic note from China.

The Foreign Ministry said a Filipino media outlet published an article about a diplomatic note from the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Feb. 18 that was addressed to the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing.

The ministry expressed grave concern about the publication and said it is conducting an internal investigation into the breach of classified information.

"The Ministry will also file a police report to enable an investigation by the relevant authorities to be undertaken promptly," it said.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer published a document last week and claimed that the Chinese Foreign Ministry asked Malaysia to immediately stop activities in an oil-rich area of Sarawak waters.

Malaysia said Kuala Lumpur share close bilateral relations with Beijing on the South China Sea, and both countries have expressed a commitment and determination to resolve issues peacefully through consultations and dialogue using existing platforms and diplomatic channels, without recourse to disputes or violence.

"Malaysia's stance on the South China Sea remains unchanged. Malaysia will continue to defend its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and interests in its maritime areas based on the 1979 Malaysia Map," it said.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid