National

Government to Sign Coordinated Patrol Agreement on Malacca Strait Security
Thursday, 15 July, 2004 | 20:19 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian government is to sign an agreement on coordinated patrols, aimed at security of the Malacca Strait, on Tuesday next week (20/07).

According to ad interim Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Hari Sabarno, this cooperation is the solution for the countries near the strait after the Indonesian and Malaysian governments objected to the desire of the US authorities to participate in the security of the Malacca Strait waters.

”So, it is not true that the USA will carry out patrols in the Strait waters by itself,” said Sabarno after a political and security affairs meeting at his office in Jakarta on Wednesday (14/07).

According to Sabarno, the security of the Malacca Strait is very important as each year, around 50,000 ships pass through the strait.

Military chiefs from Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia will sign this cooperation agreement.

However, other countries can give their assistance to secure the Strait as long as this is based on the request made by the three countries whose territories adjoin the strait.

“The US government can accept this policy. However, they are still worried about the piracy, acts of terrorism and other security disturbances that might take place in the Malacca Strait,” said Sabarno.

Indonesian Military (TNI) chief, Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said that this coordinated patrol policy was a development of coordinated patrol system that had previously been conducted by the three countries.

He added that Singapore and Malaysia had carried out such patrol activities.

However, they did not find this to be that effective as the patrol activities were only conducted three times a year.

But, with the new coordinated policy, each patrol activity carried out by each participant country will be under the respective countries’ coordination.

“This system will be more effective for us,” said Sutarto.

According to Sutarto, this new policy will enable Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean patrolling officers to enter and chase any suspicious ship in the waters of the three countries.

Each country will also be obliged to assist the other countries in the matter of fuel.

Sutarto added,” This still has to be discussed further.”
(Cahyo Junaedy/Sunariah-Tempo News Room)