Celebrating a hundred years of maritime nation by I Made Andi Arsana
Yogyakarta - "Nenek moyangku orang pelaut/Gemar mengarung luas samudera/Menerjang ombak tiada takut/Menempuh badai sudah biasa ...." (Our ancestors were sailors/ They sailed across the oceans/ Challenged the waves fearlessly/Surfed the storm familiarly.) In the early 1990s or before, the above song was popular in Indonesia. I wonder whether Indonesian children nowadays still sing this song. One thing for sure, children seem to be more interested in drawing mountain views rather than seas. Does it indicate a degradation of the maritime spirit? Let us go back a while. In 1908, 100 years ago, Indonesians initiated the national awakening. It was followed by the Youth Pledge in 1928 declaring one state, one nation and one language: Indonesia. This then led Indonesia to independence in 1945. In 1939, the Netherlands Indische stipulated the 1930 Ordnance concerning territorial sea and maritime environment, which was then adopted by the Indonesian government. It declared only 3 nautical miles of territorial sea measured from the coastline of each island. With this ordnance, the maritime areas beyond 3 miles were considered as high seas. This, consequently, was disadvantageous to national security. To deal with this situation, prime minister Djoeanda Kartawidjaja declared new Indonesian maritime claims through the Djoeanda Declaration on Dec. 13, 1957. This asserted that Indonesia should be seen as one nation consisting of land, maritime and space areas. The declaration also concerned the archipelagic baseline connecting the outer points of the outlying islands, from which maritime jurisdiction was measured. In other words, the Djoeanda Declaration was the seed of the "Archipelago Principle" (Wawasan Nusantara). This was then followed by the stipulation of Law No. 4/Prp/1960 concerning Indonesian waters, which also governed basepoints and baselines. In 1982, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was signed and Indonesia ratified it in 1985 through law No. 17/1985. Since then, Indonesia has been bound by the convention. The convention also governs maritime boundary delimitations among coastal states. In this regard, Indonesia deals with 10 neighboring states: India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Australia and Timor Leste. Indonesia has been considered reasonably productive in establishing maritime boundary agreements. Indonesia agreed to several maritime boundaries with its neighbors such as Malaysia (1969 and 1970), Thailand (1971), Australia (1971, 1972), Singapore (1973), Papua New Guinea (1973) and India (1974). Unilaterally, Indonesia also claims continental shelf (1973) and exclusive economic zone (1983). However, there are still several unresolved boundaries to settle. It has to be admitted that the relationship between Indonesia and its neighbors is still colored by maritime disputes and problems concerning ocean affairs. The case of the Ambalat Block in 2005, the lack of management of small outer islands and unfinished maritime boundary settlements with neighbors are just a few examples. Due to lack of information, people still think that Indonesia may lose islands. Simply speaking, there is still work to do. With regards to maritime boundaries, some points need to be taken into consideration. Indonesia should devote her time and energy to settle the never-before delimited boundaries with the Philippines, Palau and Timor Leste. Along with that, unsettled segments of maritime boundaries also need to be finalized (with Malaysia and Singapore). In addition, Indonesia also needs to delineate its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles as indicated by Article 76 of the UNCLOS. Such an extension may be made and should be submitted to the United Nations before May 13, 2009. Nine other states/parties have made their submissions, while Indonesia has only one year to go. After maritime limits and boundary delimitation, information dissemination then becomes critical. The Indonesian government should disseminate information concerning maritime claims and boundaries so that people are well informed. Fishermen and people residing in coastal areas should be the main group for this dissemination. This is to avoid misunderstanding and unwanted incidents in relation to maritime limits and boundaries such as border crossing in fishing activities. Together with this, the Indonesian Navy should be equipped with more sophisticated operational facilities. Another important agenda is to enhance the expertise concerning ocean affairs, maritime delimitation and other aspects of the law of the sea. This expertise should cover technical and non-technical issues. For example, Indonesia requires more geoscientists (geodesy, geophysics, geography, geology) with interest in the law of the sea. The ultimate goal is to ensure security and stability, which in turn results in economic wealth. Being an archipelagic state, Indonesia should treat the sea/ocean as one of the focal points of economic development. As written by Idris, et al (2007), Indonesia should wake up the "economic giant", as the mega potentials of ocean resources are called. The stipulation of Law No. 27/2007 concerning the management of coastal zones and small islands is, ideally, a good start for this promising vision. However, as also noted by Afghani (The Jakarta Post, April 15, 2008), serious attention should be given in order to avoid misinterpretation. It has been noted that there is space for improvement in the newly stipulated law. It is time for us to celebrate 100 years of the national awakening with the consciousness and courage of a maritime nation. Let us teach our children to develop the spirit of a maritime nation. The next generations are also sailors, who will challenge the waves fearlessly. Happy birthday, Indonesia! [The writer is a lecturer in the Department of Geodetic Engineering, Gadjah Mada University, and a researcher for the United Nations in ocean affairs and the law of the sea (2007). This is a personal opinion.] © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara.

Exercise to affect busy Singapore sea lanes: minister
Singapore - The shipping lanes around Singapore -- which carry almost half the world's daily oil shipments -- will be affected by a maritime emergency exercise next month, a cabinet minister said on radio on Tuesday. Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said the exercise involving a large-scale "simulated sea mishap" aboard a ship will occur on May 23. "It will impact our ports and our busy shipping lanes," he said in comments recorded Monday. He added that the agencies involved, which include the Maritime and Port Authority and the paramedic and fire service, have been working with the shipping community and cruise ship operators "to minimise disruption and inconvenience." The government says Singapore's port is the world's busiest and sits astride sea lanes that handle 11 million barrels of oil -- almost half of global shipments -- every day. Shipping industry officials say one-third of the world's trade passes through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, off the city-state. © 2008 AFP.

Heavily armed pirates attack Thai, South Korea ships
Kuala Lumpur - Heavily armed pirates attacked a Thai oil tanker carrying jet fuel in Malaysian waters and a South Korean vessel in the pirate infested Gulf of Aden, a maritime watchdog said Tuesday. Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, told AFP that in the April 25 incident, eight armed pirates on a powerful speedboat boarded the Thai tanker. Maritime officials identified the tanker as "Pataravarin 2." Choong said the pirates attacked the ship's master and stole seafarers money before escaping in the dark. The ship was heading into the Singapore Strait on the way to Phuket in southern Thailand, he said. Choong said this was the second pirate attack since January this year in Malaysian waters. In another incident in the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, a South Korean bulk carrier came under pirate attack on Monday at about 0940 GMT, he said. Choong said pirates believed to be from Somalia attacked the ship for about 40 minutes with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. "The ship was hit by a rocket and bullets," he said, adding that the captain took evasive measures "to prevent the 10 pirates in two speed boats from boarding," he said. Choong said the ship was still sailing to its destination in Europe despite the damage suffered in the attack. There has been an unprecedented surge in pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden with 13 attacks so far this year, Choong said. He urged seafarers to remain on high alert while plying the waters off Somalia which has emerged as one of the most dangerous waterways for seafarers amid a non-functioning government in the country for almost two decades. The waters off Nigeria and Somalia are the world's most dangerous hotspots for seafarers, with pirate attacks increasing globally in the first quarter of this year, the IMB said last week. It recorded 49 incidents worldwide in the period, compared with 41 last year. © 2008 AFP.

Malaysian maritime agency signs $61 million AW139 contract by Siva Govindasamy
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has signed a letter of agreement for three AgustaWestland AW139s in a deal worth 196 million ringgit ($61 million). This adds to the three Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphins that the MMEA, which is responsible for patrolling Malaysian waters, signed last year. The agency says it is keen to order an additional three helicopters of each type, but it is not clear when it could advance these plans. Established in 2005 to remove overlapping functions between various government agencies, the MMEA focuses much of its attention on the Straits of Malacca, a vital global shipping artery, to crack down on piracy and smuggling. The agency is also keen to acquire fixed-wing and amphibian aircraft under an as-yet unfunded requirement, and is evaluating proposals for types including the ATR 42, Beechcraft King Air 350, Bombardier Dash 8 and Fokker 50. © 2008 Reed Business Information.

Malaysian navy to seek funding for ASW helicopters by Siva Govindasamy
Malaysia's navy has put its requirement for anti-submarine warfare helicopters at the top of a list of priorities, with the service planning to ask for funding for the procurement during the country's 2011-15 spending plan. "ASW helicopters are a higher priority than maritime patrol aircraft or other aerial assets. We will need around six to operate with our new Scorpene submarines," says navy chief Adm Abdul Aziz Jaafar. "Money is tight and there are a lot of things that everyone wants, but we'll ask the government to put aside some funds in the 10th Malaysia Plan." A competition is likely to begin around 2010 at the earliest, with the order likely to include an option for an additional six helicopters, say industry sources in Kuala Lumpur. The contenders are likely to include the AgustaWestland Super Lynx, Kaman SH-2 Seasprite, Kamov Ka-28, NH Industries NH90 and Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk. "Whichever company can give us the better technology, the better it is for us," says Abdul Aziz. The helicopters would eventually replace the navy's six AgustaWestland Super Lynx 300s and six Eurocopter AS555 Fennecs. The service retired a fleet of Westland Wasps in 1999. "When you have ASW helicopters, you can work effectively with and against submarines. Both are force multipliers, and their sheer presence will undoubtedly enhance underwater and anti-submarine warfare capability. This is very conducive considering the fact that Malaysia has a large maritime area and vast economic potential that needs to be protected," says Abdul Aziz. He adds that the service is keen on acquiring maritime patrol aircraft capabilities, with Embraer and Lockheed Martin having held informal talks with the Malaysian government about providing aircraft. "The reality is that this will be an expensive purchase and it is not really our highest priority. When we do go forward on this, we will work together with our colleagues in the air force to decide on the best aircraft." Priority will also be given to the acquisition of unmanned air vehicles, which can also be used for maritime patrol missions along the Malacca Straits and the South China Sea. "We are giving a greater emphasis on UAVs as we feel that this technology will be useful for us. Again, we will work with the air force," says Abdul Aziz. © Reed Business Information 2008.

Pirates back in action off Singapore
Indonesian-speaking pirates boarded and robbed the crew of a Thai-flag products tanker at gunpoint in the Singapore Strait last Thursday. The attack, reported by the Bangkok Post, ends months of inactivity by by pirates in the area. There had been hopes that increased and joint patrols by the naval forces of the region's littoral states may have suppressed piracy, at least in the Singapore and Malacca Strait. The Patrawarin 2 was on passage from Rayong carrying 2,000 tonnes of A-1 jet fuel for Phuket when the six-strong armed gang boarded from a speedboat in the Straits of Malacca off Singapore on Thursday. They threatened the five Thai crew members at gun point, handcuffed them and robbed them of a total of baht600,000 (US$18,900) in cash and valuables. The ship's master, Pinit Ratanapan, was ordered slow down while the pirates ransacked the crew quarters Capt Ratanapan, is quoted as saying the pirates spoke to the crew in English and communicated among themselves in Indonesian. © Maritime Information Systems, Inc.

Ramunia expects to close MMHE deal by Q3
Kuala Lumpur - Ramunia Holdings Bhd expects to complete the acquisition of Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd (MMHE) by the third quarter. Finance director Mohamad Reezal Siddiq said the company was rushing to submit the due diligence, which involved documentary and verification works, to the Securities Commission (SC). It expects to do it in probably two weeks. He said Ramunia would call for an EGM in July to seek shareholders' approval after it received the green light from the SC. MISC Bhd had in January announced a RM3.2bil takeover bid for Ramunia by selling its manufacturing outfit, MMHE, in return for a 72% stake in Ramunia. Ramunia accepted the offer and agreed to issue 1.4 billion new shares and 3.6 billion new irredeemable convertible preference shares at 50 sen each. In conjunction with the acquisition, Ramunia proposed to transfer from the second to the main board of Bursa Malaysia. “The merger with MISC will definitely boost our ability to clinch more contracts, including overseas projects,” Reezal said after the company AGM yesterday. Currently, Ramunia's order book stands at RM2.7bil. “We are currently bidding for projects worth about RM9bil, of which 60% are in India, Australia and South-East Asia, including some EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) and fabrication contracts,” Reezal said. “In the next 12 months, we are likely to bid for RM14bil worth of projects, of which 60% are local, excluding deep-water projects,” he added. On the US$685mil B-193 field job in India which it secured in January, Reezal said Ramunia was talking to United Overseas Bank and Deutsche Bank, both in Singapore, and Kuwait Finance House (M) Bhd on raising finance. He said the company was seeking US$300mil to carry out the major project during the 29-month tenure. “The project would be a major contributor to our earnings next year onwards,” he said. © 1995-2008 Star Publications (M) Bhd.

Thai-Malay ties best served by diplomacy: Samak's maverick approach won't work, rather increasing mutual understanding is essential.
The Nation. Whenever a Thai prime minister visits Malaysia, he expects fanfare and fireworks to be associated with the trip. He wants to be seen as a maverick. It should not surprise anybody that even before Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej made his first official visit to our southern neighbour, reports surfaced that he would ask for the repatriation of five suspected secessionists currently held in Malaysia. Of course, given the political situation in Malaysia at the moment and the kind of dilemma Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is facing, that is unlikely to happen. After all, Thai leaders should have a better understanding of the sensitivities involved with this issue. Discreet diplomacy is badly needed. Thai leaders are naive to think that the only way for Malaysia to show true friendship and goodwill towards Thailand is to extradite suspected secessionists. Believe it or not, Malaysia has cooperated in this area several times before in the interests of maintaining positive relations with Thailand. Some of those extradited later went missing. This has not only embarrassed the Malaysian government and concerned authorities but it has given ammunition to radical Muslim leaders within the United Malays National Organisation and the Islamic Party of Malaysia for their attempts to hamper such collaboration. So now the Malaysian authorities are extremely careful. Under Prime Minister Badawi, Thai-Malaysian relations have been further consolidated despite all the spill-over effects from the violence in southern Thailand. But it is unfortunate that Badawi has been unable to establish the kind of rapport that his predecessor, Mahathir Mohammad, did with Thai leaders, especially former prime minister Chuan Leekpai. One obvious reason for this has been the frequent changes of Thai leaders in the past years. Nonetheless, both countries have surpassed the confidence-building level regarding the situation in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. They have agreed on programmes that will help to eradicate poverty and promote human security and human capital in the South. These policies are very sound and it will take some time for them to yield tangible results. This is considered a major preventive step that can help Thai policy-makers fight against underdevelopment and injustice - the root cause of the conflict and violence there. Malaysia's current leaders realise that their country's security and prosperity is intrinsically linked to the southern region of Thailand. This allows both sides to expand their joint programmes to improve social conditions and education opportunities for Thai-Malays in the region. In his luncheon speech yesterday, Samak called Malaysia a strategic partner because of its common destiny with Thailand and their shared border. He thanked Malaysia for the close cooperation and support both bilaterally and within in the Organisation of Islamic Conference. For Malaysia to truly become a strategic partner, a lot more needs to be done. Both countries must also have shared perceptions and concerns over issues related to peace and security. During the bilateral talks, both sides also expressed an interest in cooperating on maritime security. Thailand has been anxious to join the maritime security patrol in the Malacca Straits. That would be a crucial step towards Thailand taking a role in trilateral cooperation over the Straits. Thailand considers itself a littoral state just like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Cooperation has impacted on the reduction of piracy on the high seas and smuggling operations. It is also effective in combating terrorism. Beyond security issues, Thailand and Malaysia need to trade and invest more with one another. Total trade between Malaysia and Thailand grew from US$15.66 billion (Bt493.7 billion) in 2006 to $17.23 billion last year with Malaysian investment in Thailand surpassing the RM1 billion (Bt10 billion) mark. That is a pittance compared with other countries. There are prejudices that hurt the investment climate. The newly formed Thai-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and the reactivated Thai-Malaysia Friendship Association could be used as a forum to increase awareness and eradicate misunderstandings. Most importantly, ways must be found to get bureaucrats from both sides to learn and work together in order to understand the hearts and minds of people in their respective countries. Until that happens, Samak's idea of Malaysia being a strategic partner will remain a pipe dream. © 2007 NMG News Co. Ltd.