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Thailand to Be Involved in Securing the Malacca Straits
Tuesday, 09 August, 2005 | 11:09 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, the three sovereign countries in the waters of the Malacca Straits, have agreed to involve Thailand to take part in securing the Malacca Straits from acts of piracy.

This agreement was made by the three countries on August 1-2, 2005, by their military chiefs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The involvement of Thailand comes at the initiative of the Indonesian government.

According to Malaysian Navy chief Adm. Datuk Ilyas bin Haji, who visited Indonesia, Thailand will be involved because its waters are positioned near the Malacca Straits.

“From the result of the meeting in Kuala Lumpur, we will soon work with the Thai government to be involved in the security of the Malacca Straits,” said Datuk Ilyas after a meeting with Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono on Monday (08/08).

During the next two weeks, a meeting will be held between the chiefs of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand in Batam to explain the involvement of Thailand in securing the Malacca Straits.

Datuk Ilyas said that in addition to the fact that Thai waters are at the entry to the Malacca Straits, the three countries have also agreed to establish efforts in securing the straits.

“We are now preparing a work team to review these concepts (involving Thailand) carefully and fairly,” stated Ilyas.

Indonesian Navy chief of staff Adm. Slamet Soebijanto said that the three countries and Thailand have agreed to establish a work group.

This will detail the measures that must be carried out in the future time by the four countries so that the waters of the Malacca Straits will really be safe for those crossing the waters. (Sunariah-Tempo News Room)