In Part 1, we examined why the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award continues to raise legitimate legal questions. In Part 2, we shift the focus to a more fundamental issue: how Malaysia should advance its own interests in the South China Sea. From the historical legacy of the "Malayan Sea" to recent developments at Pulau Layang-Layang, Lawyer Nor Hisham Mohd Nor argues that Malaysia must articulate a distinctly Malaysian narrative rooted in sovereignty, history and national interest.