Malaysia announces new security measures for Malacca Straits

Malaysia announces new security measures for Malacca Straits

Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia on Tuesday said it would place soldiers on islands in the pirate-infested Malacca Straits to beef up security against potential pirate and terror attacks on ships.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said some 10 army personnel have already been deployed on two islands -- Perak and Kedah -- in the past two months but did not elaborate.

Najib, who is also defense minister, said other factors including costs would be considered before placing soldiers on other islands in the straits.

Besides the static presence of the troops, the navy would maintain regular patrols, he said.

The announcement comes just a day after Malaysia and the United States mended fences after an angry dispute over protecting international shipping against terrorist attacks in the vital straits.

The visiting commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Admiral Thomas Fargo, ironed out the differences between the two countries after talks with Najib.

Malaysia reacted strongly to recent reports that Washington was considering deploying marines in the Straits to counter terrorist threats in the narrow waterway, which carries a third of world trade, saying this would infringe on its sovereignty.

But Najib said Malaysia was prepared to cooperate in other ways with the United States over concerns that terrorists could close the straits and cripple world trade or use a fuel tanker as a floating bomb in a maritime version of the airborne Sept. 11 attacks.