KL police meet RI counterparts

YOGYAKARTA (JP): A one-day meeting between Indonesian National Police commanders and their counterparts from Malaysia was held at the Yogyakarta Garuda Natour Hotel on Tuesday.

Sources said that the meeting was held to discuss sensitive border issues, and Indonesian Police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo was supposed to lead the Indonesian officers.

However, reporters did not see Rusdihardjo and the meeting was closed to journalists.

No statements were later made by the Indonesian officers, but chief of Malaysian "Polis Marine" Senior Assistant Commissioner Mohammad bin Muda spoke to reporters about a recent boat accident.

"The security border between the two countries is in good condition, so far," he said, adding that the Malaysian police (PDRM) had continued searching for the lost passengers of the ill-fated Bunga Kelana IV in the Strait of Malacca.

"We intensified our patrol around the area to rescue passengers who may have survived," he said after attending the meeting.

Motor boat Bunga Kelana IV, which was carrying about 75 job seekers from Indonesia, was hit by big waves on its way to Malaysia.

Only nine passengers survived. Seven bodies were found by Malaysian Marine Police.

"We suspect that the boat was overloaded. Such a boat should carry only around 25 passengers but there were 70 to 80 passengers onboard," he said. (44)