Littoral states want forum to discuss Malacca security

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Foreign Ministers of Southeast Asia's three littoral states -- Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore -- are planning on holding a ministerial forum to discuss security matters in the Strait of Malacca.

The forum will be aimed at addressing issues pertaining to security in the strait from a political perspective, according to a foreign ministry official.

"Discussions on security issues in the Strait of Malacca have so far been conducted on an operational level, among navies of the three countries. We want a regular forum to discuss (security) matters in a political context," Marty Natalegawa, the ministry's spokesman, said on Friday.

He said the idea of hosting the forum had been raised by the ministers on several occasions during bilateral talks.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda and his Singaporean counterpart expressed their mutual understanding on the need for the forum in a recent phone conversation, he said.

"But when and how the forum will be effective is still not known," said Marty.

He also expressed concerns over the idea of hiring private security firms to help guard commercial ships passing the strait.

"From a foreign policy perspective, clearly, we don't support the idea," he said.

Malaysian authorities have also spoken out against private security firms operating in the narrow strait, which links trading and oil centers in the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are responsible for safeguarding the strait.

The three littoral states have launched a coordinated patrol to stamp out growing piracy attacks along the 600 kilometers of the strait.

According to data, more than 50,000 commercial ships carrying more than one-third of global trading commodities and one-half of the world's crude oil pass through the strait each year.

The Paris-based International Maritime Bureau's International Chamber of Commerce recorded 28 pirate attacks in 2003 on commercial ships in the strait, a significant increase from 16 cases the previous year.

A number of countries such as the United States, Japan and India have expressed their readiness to help guard the strait.

Singapore was initially open to U.S. involvement in securing the strait, but Indonesia and Malaysia immediately voiced strong reservations.