KL wants navy exercises resumed

KL wants navy exercises resumed

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia said on Monday that it hoped to resume an annual joint navy exercise with Singapore shelved in 1997 amid the regional economic slump.

Malaysia's navy chief Vice Admiral Abu Bakar Abdul Jamal said the exercise, code-named Malapura, was first held in 1984 to boost bilateral working ties.

Abu Bakar earlier met his Singapore counterpart, Rear Admiral Richard Lim Cherng Yih, who arrived on Monday for a two-day visit, and told Bernama the two countries' navies enjoyed good relations.

Both sides will take part in the "Stardex" exercise to be held in September under the auspices of the Five-Power Defense Arrangement (FPDA) which also involves Australia, Britain and New Zealand, he added.