Malaysia, S'pore to boost security in strait<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse
\nPutrajaya, Malaysia<\/p>\n
Malaysia and Singapore on Tuesday agreed to increase cooperation
\nto fight terrorism and improve maritime security, particularly in
\nthe pirate-infested Malacca Strait amid signs of improving
\nbilateral ties.<\/p>\n
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Singapore
\ncounterpart Tony Tan, who is on a three-day visit to Malaysia,
\nunderlined the importance of boosting security cooperation to
\ncurb the threat of terrorism.<\/p>\n
\"We agree that cooperation should not stop where it is at now
\nbut we should review and explore new ways to enhance cooperation
\nin the field of security,\" Najib told reporters after a 45-minute
\nmeeting with Tan.<\/p>\n
Najib, who is also defense minister, said armed forces
\nofficials from both countries would soon meet to identify new
\nways to bolster security, especially maritime security.<\/p>\n
\"We are fairly confident, we are on top of things but we are
\nnot taking anything for granted,\" he said, adding that \"our main
\nconcern is the question of maritime security.\"<\/p>\n
Malaysia has not suffered any terror attacks on its soil but
\nhas detained some 90 alleged militants suspected of belonging to
\nregional militant groups such as the al-Qaeda-linked Jamaah
\nIslamiyah (JI), which carried out the 2002 Bali bombing in
\nIndonesia which killed 202 people.<\/p>\n
Najib however ruled out joint naval patrols in the Malacca
\nStrait, saying territorial integrity must be respected.<\/p>\n
\"At the moment, we are not considering joint patrols,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The narrow, 960-kilometer waterway, through which about half
\nthe world's oil supplies and a third of global trade passes, runs
\nalong the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore recently launched year-round
\ncoordinated naval patrols in the strait.<\/p>\n
Singapore and the United States have expressed fears of terror
\nattacks involving hijacked ships in the strait.<\/p>\n
Pirate attacks in the strait rose 33 percent between January
\nand June from a year ago, the International Maritime Bureau said
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
Tan, who is also Singapore's coordinating minister for
\nsecurity and defense, said cooperation would continue to
\nstrengthen as the neighbors faced new terror threats.<\/p>\n
\"The field of security and defense keeps on changing. We face
\nnew threats fighting against radical terrorism. We have to work
\ntogether,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tan said defense and security officials from Singapore,
\nMalaysia and Indonesia would get together to exchange ideas to
\nstrengthen cooperation.<\/p>\n
\"We agreed we should move forward from the coordinated patrols
\nin order to see what the three of us can take to enhance
\nsecurity,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysia-spore-to-boost-security-in-strait-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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