Malaysia rejects use of outside forces in SE Asia

Malaysia rejects use of outside forces in SE Asia

Agencies, Singapore

Malaysia rejected the use of foreign forces in fighting terror threats in Southeast Asia on Sunday, saying their presence could trigger a radical backlash among the region's mostly moderate Muslim community.

But Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Razak told a security forum, which is organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), in Singapore that his country was open to discussions with the United States and other nations on expanding cooperation in intelligence sharing and surveillance.

"What we should avoid is the presence of foreign forces in Southeast Asia, not because we distrust those from outside the region, but because a foreign military presence will set us back in our ideological battle against extremism and militancy," Najib said.

"The lessons of Iraq should be clear to us: ill-prepared liberators do make mistakes and the failure of good intentions can cause great damage to social and political stability."

Washington is expected to begin negotiations this month with Asian nations on a formal plan to enhance security efforts in the region, dubbed the Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI).

Najib said he would be holding talks with Admiral Thomas Fargo, the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, on the proposal in Malaysia before the end of the June.

Widely reported comments in March that U.S. special forces or the Marines could be used a part of efforts to enhance security in the busy Malacca Strait had provoked open opposition from both Malaysia and Indonesia, which straddle the key waterway.

More than 50,000 commercial vessels travel the 805-km channel each year, carrying about a third of the world's trade and 80 percent of Japan's oil needs.

Many in Jakarta wonder why the voice of Indonesia, the largest country in Southeast Asia and the current chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was not heard at such a prestigious security gathering which was being attended by the U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and security and defense experts from all over the world.

It seems that Indonesia did not send any cabinet minister to Singapore to attend the meeting.

According to Maj. Gen. Sudrajat, the director-general of defense strategy at the Ministry of Defense, the recent cabinet meeting had decided to ask all ministers and officials to focus on political issues at home, especially the ongoing presidential election.

"But since the conference focused on security, the Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto visited Singapore on Thursday and stayed there for about six hours in an attempt to show our appreciation," Sudrajat told The Jakarta Post by phone.

A summary of a closed-door dialog on Sunday attended by representatives of about 20 countries, including the United States, said there was agreement on the need to strengthen and improve security in the Strait of Malacca.

"Indonesia recognized the legitimate interests of other countries in the safety and security of the Straits and was willing to accommodate and engage them," the summary said.

Two suggestions were floated to improve regional cooperation. One called for the enlargement of an existing forum called the Malacca Straits Security Board. A second idea proposed by Indonesia is for an ASEAN Maritime Security Cooperation forum.