National

Security in the Malacca Straits To Prevent Foreign Forces
Friday, 09 September, 2005 | 10:56 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Western Fleet Command Chief Rear Adm. Tedjo Edhi Purdijanto has confirmed that Indonesian Navy and the police, with customs, immigration and transportation authorities would secure the Malacca Straits together with Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

“We’re delivering the concept of this security process together with the foreign department,” Purdijanto said before attending the briefing session with Indonesian President Yudhoyono and the TNI high-rank officers at the TNI headquarters (HQ) in Cilangkap on Wednesday (07/09).

According to Purdijanto, joint security at the Malacca Straits is considered necessary to avoid foreign forces from entering the countries nearby the Straits.

If large countries wish to help in terms of security in the Malacca Straits, he said, the form of security should be in the form of equipment, information and training rather than in the form of troops or war ships.
Purdijanto said that the problems of pursuing the criminals in the Malacca Strait have been socialized to the related officials and approved by military chiefs from four adjoining the Straits.

He added that the agreement only applied for the pursuing of foreign forces, meanwhile patrols continue in each region. (Fanny Febiana-Tempo News Room)