KL, Jakarta to join forces against piracy

KL, Jakarta to join forces against piracy

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia and Indonesia agreed on Thursday to deploy their security forces in a joint war on pirates threatening the safe passage of vessels through their territorial waters.

"I believe that by working together, we can bring back confidence in the waters surrounding Malaysia and Indonesia," Malaysian defense minister Najib Abdul Razak said after a meeting with visiting Indonesian Military chief Adm. Widodo A.S.

Najib told reporters that the two Southeast Asian neighbors would step up anti-piracy patrols "very soon".

Incidents of piracy in the Strait of Malacca between the Indonesian island of Sumatra and Malaysia dropped from 30 in 1998 to 15 last year, Najib said.

However, it still remains one of the most dangerous shipping channels in the world.

It is a vital sea lane for Japan and a crucial link to sources of oil in the Middle East.

In November, Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi urged other Asian countries to take stronger measures against piracy after a trawler rescued crewmen who had been cast adrift after their ship was hijacked in the Strait of Malacca.

A series of anti-piracy conferences are scheduled to be held in Singapore in March and in Tokyo in April, during which Japan may propose starting joint anti-piracy patrols in the Strait of Malacca, with the participation of coast guards from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China and South Korea.

Insurance and shipping companies claim that piracy is a growing problem worldwide, and that one of the worst areas is the Strait of Malacca, where some 2,000 ships pass daily.