RI - Malaysian patrol operation continued

RI - Malaysian patrol operation continued

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Malaysia will improve their joint
naval operations to combat piracy and stop the smuggling of
Indonesian workers in the Malacca Straits, a navy official said
yesterday.

Chief of Staff of Indonesia's Western Navy Fleet, Commodore
Widodo AS, said that the two countries considered these joint
operations important because of the high incidence of piracy,
smuggling, sea pollution, poaching and workers smuggling.

Although there was no major piracy in the strait last year,
the two countries' navies will continue their annual joint patrol
operation, he told reporters after the opening a meeting of the
two countries's navy officials.

He said a number of cases of piracy and poaching have occurred
on the strait this year and hundreds of Indonesian job seekers
trying to enter Malaysia illegally had been sent back home.

"All the cases have been handled according to legal
procedures," he said. He declined to elaborate.

He added that the joint operation was also intended to improve
cooperation between the neighboring countries.

Meanwhile, Col. (Navy) Nicholas Eugene Peterson, who led
Malaysia's eight-person delegation at the meeting, said that
Malaysia and Indonesia were committed to designing a more
coordinated operation to patrol both countries's borders along
the strait.

He said the schedule for this year's joint patrol operation
would be set during the meeting.(rms)