Malaysia to build new naval base

Malaysia to build new naval base

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Malaysia plans to build a one billion
ringgit (US$400 million) naval base in the eastern state of Sabah
to beef up maritime security in the area, the New Straits Times
said yesterday.

"In terms of security, this area is prone to piracy, murder,
smuggling and the influx of illegal immigrants," the newspaper
quoted Defense Minister Syed Hamid Albar as saying.

Police said they believed pirates operating out of the nearby
southern Philippines islands were responsible for recent attacks
on coastal towns in Sabah.

The daily said work on the 144-hectare site at Teluk
Sepanggar, about 25 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu, the state
capital, is expected to start soon.