Neighboring nations to set up strait task force

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta

To counter a rise in piracy and prevent possible terrorist attacks, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to set up a task force that will be free to pass over sea borders while patrolling the narrow Strait of Malacca.

The accord comes in the wake of Indonesia and Malaysia's rejection of a U.S. proposal on joint patrols in the straits.

In rejecting the proposal, the two countries cited fears that their territorial rights would be undermined and that the presence of U.S. forces would attract terrorists.

"We initially planned to establish a joint patrol, meaning navy personnel from the three countries (Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore) would be on board the same patrol boat to guard the straits.

"But we dropped the plan because we have to respect our own sovereignty," Indonesian Navy chief Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh said on Tuesday during a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart, Adm. Dato' Sri Mohd. Anwar Bin Hj. Mohd Nor, at the military headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

Anwar said the countries did not want outside forces to play a role in securing the straits because "it is better that we ourselves take the role in securing it. The United States can help by sharing any intelligence information it has".

He added that there was nothing new in such cooperation, saying Malaysia and Indonesia had been working together for years. However, he underlined that the two countries had to intensify their communication to curb rampant piracy and to deter terror threats.

The Strait of Malacca -- the narrow, 800-kilometer long waterway bordered by Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia -- carries a third of the world's trade and half of the world's oil supply. But it is rife with pirates and authorities warn the waterway is vulnerable to possible terror attacks.

Singapore initially welcomed the United States' proposal for joint patrols in the straits, but Sondakh said Singapore eventually agreed "to manage problems without foreign intervention".

Sondakh said coordinated patrols would begin next month and would allow for a quick response to any impending threats, as well as cross-border searches and chases. Each country will contribute four to seven patrol boats and share the same radio frequencies.

To speed up the establishment of the task force, next week naval officers from the three countries will meet in Batam, Riau islands, to discuss the task force, Sondakh said.

"We are going to conduct patrols together in the Malacca straits throughout the year," Sondakh said. "This coordination will allow Indonesian patrol boats to chase pirates into Malaysian and Singaporean waters."

Sondakh also said the naval forces would be able to respond to a distress call within hours, rather than the "two or three days" it currently takes.