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)