S.E Asia benefits from strong Malaysia, defense chief says

JAKARTA (JP): Malaysian Defense Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak defended his country's recent massive purchase of weapons, saying that Southeast Asia benefits from a strong Malaysia.

Najib told a discussion yesterday that his country was not indulging in an arms race.

"The purchase is simply made to replace the obsolete technology of our weapons, and to contribute greater to regional security," he said in a lecture entitled Southeast Asia: Towards a Progressive and Dynamic Region at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

He explained that Malaysia was working towards an asset-based army, and was being less dependent on a manpower-based security approach.

"Since our population is not as large as Indonesia's, we cannot rely on manpower for defense. Our considerable economic growth has now enabled us to purchase new armaments, and this will help us to lean more on this asset-based security."

However, he added, by complementing manpower and assets, Indonesia and Malaysia can establish better security in the region.

Most countries in Southeast Asia have been buying weapons in large scale over the past few years creating the impression that an arms race was going on. Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia are among those which have added its fleets of warships, fighter aircraft.

Malaysia's most recent acquisition includes missile frigates from Britain and MiGs fighters from Russia.

Najib pointed out that collaboration between the two countries in the field of defense research could be widely enhanced.

Southeast Asia, unlike other regions around the world was "exceptionally peaceful and promises an optimistic future," he said. "We all have a responsibility to maintain this condition, which will lead to the prosperity of the people. Unity is strength."

He indicated that military security should not sacrifice social and economic aspects, but it should neither be neglected, as the region was pursuing a comprehensive development.

"Indonesia-Malaysia relationship is the core of the stability of the whole region. However, bilateral cooperation should go beyond mere ethnic or sentimental reasons, and we should struggle to reach a higher level of relationship by making it more dynamic," he said.

Najib said this could be achieved through economic and trade relations "which show a very encouraging trend since both countries have the ambition to become fully developed, industrialized nations."

The minister today is scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding with State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie for the purchase of six CN-235 planes from IPTN, the state aircraft manufacturer.

Under the deal, Indonesia will buy 20 light-weight MD-3 planes and a number of Proton Saga limousines from Malaysia and establish a Proton Saga assembling plant here.

East Timor

Later, during a press briefing, Najib said that his government is fully behind Indonesia in its diplomatic row with the Philippines over the latter's plan to host a conference on East Timor.

Malaysia opposes any attempt by other countries to intervene on the question of East timor, "which is now entirely within Indonesia's sovereignty," he said. "We have always stood behind Indonesia in this case. We view that East Timor is Indonesia's right, and there should be no foreign interference at any level."

Indonesia has formally protested at Manila for allowing the East Timor conference to take place later this month. Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said that the conference was nothing but a platform for East Timorese who oppose the integration of their homeland with Indonesia.

Najib said the Malaysian government would not send any delegates to the meeting and would make maximum efforts to prevent any groups from attending it.

"The United Nations seem to be attacking Asia on human rights issues, but they have not even resolved the massacres in Rwanda and Bosnia," he remarked.

Najib admitted, however, that it was the right of the Philippines to hold the seminar, and his government could not prevent that, "but Malaysia clearly disapproves any discussions on East Timor," he stated. (pwn)