National

Coordinated Patrols in Malacca Straits Continue
Friday, 10 December, 2004 | 10:05 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to continue coordinated patrold in the waters of the Malacca Strait.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Sri Mohamad Najib bin Tun Saji Abdul Razak and Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto made this statement in a press release at the 33rd meeting of Malaysian and Indonesian General Border Committee (GBC) on Thursday (09/12) in Jakarta.

The Malaysian and Indonesian governments consider the security of Malacca Strait waters as very important as it involves both countries.

“The coordinated patrols will continue to be carried out and cooperation in forming joint activities between the two countries will also be improved in order to result in a better security and safety in the Malacca Strait,” said Razak.

Following the coordinated patrol activities, the security in the Malacca Strait has improved.

This is indicated by the fact that out of 20 piracy cases in the strait, only one was a serious case.
Razak stated that the GBC would soon form a proper category on the Malacca Strait’s position as a strategic area.

Sutarto, as the GBC chairman representing Indonesia, said that the coordinated patrols would help the Indonesian and Malaysian governments prevent other countries intervening in the security of the strait without approval from authorized countries in the Malacca Strait waters.

Sutarto and Abdul Razak said they regretted the opinions voiced by other countries that considered the Malacca Strait as unsafe waters.

“The coordinated patrols shall decrease the number of crimes in the maritime areas,” said Sutarto. (Sunariah-Tempo News Room)