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Admiral Mohd Anwar pioneers integrated defence concept
Kuala Lumpur - Chief of Defence Forces Admiral Tan Sri Mohamed Anwar Mohamed Noor believes that the pillar of national defence lies not in the strength of the army alone, but in the people who know how to utilise the manpower and assets in pressing and emergency situations. He wants to realise the integrated defence concept, which involves not only the security forces like the military and the police but also the public and private sectors which would literally become a formidable force feared by the enemies. Five months after creating history as the first Chief of Defence Forces to be appointed from among the navy ranks, Mohamed Anwar, 55, presided over the first meeting of top-level security officers with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) on Sept 8. His discussion with Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamed Bakri Omar focused on efforts to utilise the joint assets of both entities in their operations and exercises. He is expected to hold a discussion with the newly formed Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency soon. "Any system to be procured by the Malaysian Armed Forces will take into consideration the holistic view and will be included in the national network system. "We feel that the people are the pillar of the national defence in pressing or emergency situations," he told reporters in conjunction with the 72nd Armed Forces Day tomorrow, themed "The Armed Forces Realises Comprehensive Defence with the Rakyat". During the celebration Friday, he will launch a "mission statement" containing the new vision and mission of the armed forces. In a short time, the armed forces had implemented various modernisation strategies, including the setting up of the Joint Armed Forces Administration on Sept 5 last year which combined the three branches of the armed forces, namely the army, airforce and the navy, under the supervision of one warfare headquarters. Prior to the modernisation of the armed forces, the national defence doctrine was more in the form of the guerrilla warfare but now it is more on the use of sophisticated technology with minimum manpower. On the preparation to face the 21st century challenges, Mohamed Anwar said the development planning of the armed forces was to generate a balanced, credible and formidable force. "The armed forces are currently strengthening their weaponry and information technology system with the procurement of state-of-the-art armaments in line with the dynamic development of the Revolution in Military Affairs. "No doubt the procurement of sophisticated weaponry and armaments will the armed forces' main priority," he said. He also said that unlike in the yesteryears, a career in the armed forces was becoming more popular among the graduates. "Actually, the armed forces do not have any obvious problems in having the human resource in science and engineering," he said. For example, he said, in the selection of graduate officers in Ipoh recently, 6,009 applications were received and 263 candidates shortlisted to fill 117 posts in the three branches of the armed forces. On the relationship with the neighbouring countries following the border disputes and overlapping claims, he said the tension with the Indonesian authorities in the Sulawesi Sea was an isolated case which could be solved through diplomacy. He rejected claims that the Malaysian Armed Forces were "soft" in handling incidents like those in Pulau Batu Puteh and Ambalat where the foreign countries concerned were more aggressive in dispatching their war machinery. He said the national policy emphasised that any disputes, especially those concerning overlapping claims to any territories, be resolved through negotiations. © 2005 BERNAMA.
Armed Forces want more to take part in FPDA exercises
South China Sea - Security agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country have been advised to participate in the exercises of the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) to prepare against any terrorist threat. Defence Ministry Secretary General Tan Sri Subhan Jasmon said their involvement in the exercises would enhance the capacity in facing threats in the modern era which were non-conventional. "We will open participation in the exercises to authorities such as the police, maritime enforcement units and rescue agencies to build up national defence capabilities," he told Bernama after observing an anti-terrorist exercise on board the vessel, KD Mahawangsa, here. He said the participation of other authorities and NGOs would be carried out in stages. Subhan said the exercises would be extended to include companies such as Petronas and the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) when the participation of security agencies were seen to bear results. He also said that in 2007 the FPDA exercises would focus more on exercise on land compared to air and sea at present. The FPDA exercises, which began in 1971, involve the armed forces of Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia, and are primarily aimed at protecting Malaysia and Singapore from any form of military threat. The current exercise in the South China Sea, from Sept 5 to 28, involves 25 ships, 74 aircraft and one submarine. © 2005 BERNAMA.
ASEAN meeting stresses importance of enhancing judicial cooperation
Delegates at the 6th ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting agreed to boost legal cooperation, especially in the field of judicial assistance in civil and commercial matters, said a Vietnamese official on Monday. The one-day meeting highlighted the importance of establishing a working group to build agreements on service abroad of judicial and extra judicial documents, and abolishment of legalization of foreign public documents used in judicial assistance among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnamese Deputy Justice Minister Hoang The Lien said at a press briefing just after the meeting closed. Representatives also agreed to set up working groups to examine modalities for harmonizing the trade laws of ASEAN members, laws on legalization of foreign public documents, a model ASEAN extradition treaty and a model law on maritime security, he added. Besides, they underlined the importance of enhancing coordination linkages with the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crimes in preventing and combating transnational crimes and terrorism, Lien said. The ministers also expressed their commitment to the ASEAN declaration, Bali Concord II, in 2003, which was a landmark decision for the block to work toward an ASEAN Community with three main pillars, namely security, economy and socio-culture, he said, adding that they agreed to hold the 7th ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting in Brunei in 2008. The meeting, which is alternatively held once per three years in ASEAN countries, is attended by law ministers and representatives from ASEAN members, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Delegates from other countries, including China, Japan, South Korea and the United States, and international organizations also participated in the meeting. © Xinhua.
ASEAN ministers build judicial, law enforcement co-operation
Ha Noi - Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) law ministers were asked for new initiatives to enhance regional legal and judicial co-operation when their meeting opened in Ha Noi yesterday. The request was made by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, who told the meeting that ASEAN was faced with transitional crime – including drug and human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism – while working to establish an integrated and secure community by 2020. Judicial and legal co-operation was crucial to meeting the challenges raised by the venture, he said. "Only through such co-operation would the ASEAN countries become the engine and foundation for the expansion of co-operation and sustainable development for the region." The deputy prime minister said Viet Nam had undertaken judicial reform for the construction of a state subject to the rule of law as well as regional and global economic integration. Viet Nam’s Justice Ministry had already proposed enhanced co-operation in legal assistance for trade and civil matters, the appointment of international trade and investment arbitrators, personnel training and maritime security be part of that agenda. The initiatives had so far received strong support from ASEAN and an early agreement was now needed to bring them to fruition. Viet Nam submitted two major issues for discussion at the meeting. These were: Eliminating the need for documents when judicial assistance - based on legislation - was provided within ASEAN; and Promoting more co-operation when legal documents were conveyed within the judicial systems of member countries. Viet Nam’s Justice Minister Uong Chu Luu opened the meeting by saying the gathering provided the chance for administrators of the law within ASEAN to exchange views and reach consensus about co-operation. The theme of the two-day meeting is the strengthening of Co-operation with Legal Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters. Those attending include ASEAN Deputy Secretary General, Wilfrido V.Villacorta, justice ministers from the 10 member countries and observers. It is also the first time Viet Nam has hosted the ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting that is held every three years.
Joint statement
The ASEAN Law Ministers issued a joint statement following the first day of their meeting. The ministers expressed their appreciation to Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan for gracing the Opening of the Meeting as Guest-of-Honour and delivering the keynote address. They also revealed a steadfast commitment to the Bali Concord II of 2003, a landmark agreement working towards an ASEAN Community comprising of the ASEAN Security Community (ASC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). The ministers additionally expressed support for the Vientiane Action Programme (VAP), a platform to realise the Plans of Action for ASC, AEC and ASCC, while also directing ASLOM to co-ordinate and work closely with other ASEAN bodies to implement the VAP. The importance of having a strong legal framework as the foundation for economic and social development was similarly highlighted by the ministers, acknowledging the work and efforts of ASEAN senior law officials for their guidance and direction. They also stressed that the importance of ASLOM continuing to co-operate in the development of regional legal frameworks to facilitate greater ASEAN integration and cohesiveness. The ministers agreed that ASLOM be mandated to address all matters pertaining to legal co-operation, allowing for further support of ASEAN integration initiatives, and common practice among members. The ministers additionally emphasised the importance of strengthening co-operation on judicial assistance in civil and commercial matters, agreeing to ASLOM’s proposal to establish the Working Group from an Agreement on Service Abroad of Judicial and Extra Judicial Documents amongst ASEAN member countries. The establishment of an Agreement on Abolishment of Legalisation of Foreign Public Documents Used in Judicial Assistance amongst ASEAN member countries was also agreed upon. ASLOM’s proposals to establish working groups to examine modalities for harmonising the trade laws of ASEAN member countries, uniform laws on the legalisation of foreign public documents, a model ASEAN extradition treaty and a model law on maritime security were similarly provided with consent. The importance of enhancing co-ordination linkages with the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crimes in preventing and combating transnational crimes and terrorism, was additionally underlined by the ministers. In this regard, the ministers noted the successful conclusion of the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in 2004 and encouraged relevant countries to expedite the process of the treaty’s ratification. All the ministers agreed to hold the 7th ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting in Brunei Darussalam in 2008. © Vietnam News Agency.
Australia may help patrol Malacca Strait
Australia has expressed interest in helping South-East Asian nations carry out aerial patrols of the Malacca Strait, Asia's busiest sea lane. The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported that Australia's navy chief made the offer on Thursday as Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Malaysia and Singapore began annual war games in the South China Sea and on the Malaysian peninsula. "We will be very happy to help in terms of providing the experience in air patrolling," Bernama quoted Australia's navy chief, Russ Shalders, saying in the Malaysian city of Kuantan at the launch of this year's exercises. Security experts are concerned about the Malacca Strait, which threads its way between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Dogged by piracy and fears of terror attacks on shipping, the strait carries a quarter of world trade and links oil-producing nations of the Middle East with East Asian consumers. Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand began joint air patrols of the waterway this week and have invited foreign powers to help maintain this surveillance. Malaysia has suggested they could provide additional aircraft. "Terrorism can occur anywhere. The threat here in this region is probably no greater and no less than in other areas," New Zealand Air Commodore R.J. Newlands told reporters in Kuantan. Twenty-six naval ships, one of the biggest fleets assembled in the 34-year-old joint exercise, have gathered in the South China Sea, off Malaysia and Singapore, for drills increasingly designed to tackle terrorism rather than wage conventional war. The heavy naval contingent reflects growing concerns in Southeast Asia on maritime security, military officials said. The exercise, which runs until Sept. 28, is part of an upgrading of a Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) pact established in 1971, primarily to protect Malaysia and Singapore, formerly British colonies, from invasion. Its focus has recently been widened from traditional warfare to include counter-terror operations. The exercise will also include 74 military aircraft, one submarine and 3,000 soldiers, and will cover Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and the South China Sea, the military officials said. ©AAP 2005.
Australia sends 1,000 personnel to five-country war game
Australia has sent 1,000 Defense Force personnel to a five-country military exercise which started in waters of southeast Asia Thursday. Exercise Bersama Lima, also involving armed forces from Malaysia, Singapore, Britain and New Zealand, will be held in an area around the Peninsular of Malaysia, Singapore and the South China Sea. Australia's participation in the two-week exercise for the Five Power Defense Arrangements (FPDA) includes seven Navy ships, a clearance diving team, up to nine F/A-18 Hornets, a 707 tanker aircraft, two AP-3C Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Air Force airspace surveillance and control elements and ground-based air defense troops, according to Defense Minister Robert Hill. Hill said in a statement that the war game, which is being hosted by the Royal Malaysian Armed forces, is designed to train participants in the conduct of joint and combined operations in a multi-threat scenario and will also include a maritime interdiction scenario to meet the demands of non-conventional threats. "The FPDA represents more than 30 years of cooperation with member nations and continues to show its relevance for the regional strategic environment with the inclusion of maritime interdiction scenarios in exercises such as Bersama Lima," he said. "The capacity to respond to non-conventional threats will make the FPDA more relevant to a security environment where threats include terrorism, breaches of exclusive economic zones, smuggling, piracy and illegal fishing," the minister said. Exercise Bersama Lima is the second in the series of FPDA multilateral exercises this year with the first being Exercise Bersama Shield held in April. © Xinhua.
Australia supports M'sia's bid for IMO council seat
Kuala Lumpur - Australia is supporting Malaysia's bid to be a member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said Friday. Malaysia is bidding for a seat at the 40-member council under Category C comprising countries with special interests in maritime transport and navigation at its annual meeting in London in November. The body is a specialised agency responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing pollution from ships. Chan said: "We've asked Australia to support us and they have agreed to back us for a council seat in IMO," he told reporters after attending a function to assemble moon cakes in the shape of Admiral Cheng Ho's ship. IMO is governed by 40 countries selected from three level of representation with 10 countries in Category A comprising China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, South Korea, Russia, Britain and the United States -- countries with interests in providing international shipping service. Category B consists of 10 countries involved in international seaborne trade. They are Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Category C is made up of 20 countries. They are Algeria, Australia, Bahamas, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Malta, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and Venezuela. © 2005 BERNAMA.
Crossfire war: Malacca Strait - joint air patrols instituted by four nations by Willard Payne
Night Watch: Subang Air Force Base - Joint air patrols over the Malacca Strait, between the four Southeast Asian nations along the strait have begun and Australia has just announced it is willing to participate. A Hercules C-130, with a combined Malaysian and Singaporean crew took off from this air base on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. The two other states, Indonesia and Thailand are also involved in joint operations to spot pirates and potential terrorists, to prevent them from disrupting the most important maritime waterway in Asia. The narrow, 500 m (805 km) strait carries nearly all oil imports for Japan and China. Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Razak was quoted by Reuters, "So much of the international community depends on the safety and security of the Strait of Malacca and it is incumbent upon us as littoral states to ensure the safety and security of the strait." He was joined by his Singaporean counterpart Teo Chee Hean and military representatives from Indonesia and Thailand. Joint patrols were launched last year but pirate attacks have continued causing Tokyo and Washington to pressure for more serious measures. Indonesia and Malaysia had previously refused international assistance for its ‘Eyes in the Sky’ program but are now requesting foreign powers to provide aircraft. Najib said, "I would consider this as phase one. Phase two will entail the involvement of the international community to make offers. We are open." Today Australia expressed interest in doing so as they were taking part in annual war games in the South China Sea with New Zealand, Britain, Malaysia and Singapore, China being notably absent. The South China Sea has long been used by Beijing and Pyongyang to send advanced weaponry to the Middle East. Australia’s navy chief Russ Shalders said, "We will be very happy to help in terms of providing the experience in air patrolling." He was speaking from the northeastern Malaysian city of Kuantan. New Zealand Air Commodore R. J. Newlands said, "Terrorism can occur anywhere. The threat here in this region is probably no greater and no less than other areas." Malaysian defence chief Admiral Mohamed Anwar Nor outlined the purpose of the exercise, "The main objective of the exercise is to conduct joint operations in a multi-threat scenario. So far there’s no real threat yet… we are always prepared for such contingencies." Concerning the Eyes in the Sky air patrols over the Strait of Malacca, Captain Pottengal Mukundan, director of the International Maritime Bureau in London stated, "At the end of the day what is essential is that a high risk situation which is identified by the Eyes in the Sky should be followed up by action on the water. There must be resources and the will to do that. I think the will is there, but I hope also the resources will be there to take action. And then we will see a reduction in the attacks." He added that pirate attacks have fallen this year with so far there being only nine but in July maritime insurers designated the strait as a high-risk area after a security report that pirates had begun using the weapons and tactics of Islamic terrorists. However the littoral states and the maritime industry are still trying to believe the threats are exaggerated. This new activity on the part of the pirates is a result of Iran’s influence. Tehran and its intelligence services work with criminal groups in the Balkans and Caucasus so they would not be opposed to doing the same in Southeast Asia, an area that also has enormous corruption. The Council of Guardians have long recognized the potential of disrupting Allied shipping in this strategic sea lane and the substantial impact it would have on the economies of enemy nations like Japan, Thailand and Singapore. In December 2001 Singapore uncovered more than a ton of explosives set to go off. Thailand has been under attack since January 2004. It also remains to be seen how much attention the international community can give to this immensely important cooperation after all out war breaks out between Pakistan and India. As this site has stated, since its inception, as a show of support Islamic countries could attempt to cut off India economically buy attacking its commerical traffic in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. Allied forces will have to commit substantial naval resources in order to keep shipping lanes to India open, but with war coming between Japan and China over East China Sea’s energy fields, what the Allies can do in other Asian theaters may be extremely limited. © 2005, NewsBlaze, Daily News.
"Eyes in the Sky" initiative launched for Malacca Strait security by S Ramesh
A major initiative to enhance the security of the Malacca and Singapore Straits and the passage of ships along the sea lines of communications was launched on Tuesday by the 3 littoral states - Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia - together with Thailand. It is called "Eyes in the Sky" with each of the littoral states and Thailand contributing two aircraft to conduct the patrolling. Launching the initiative at the Subang Air Base in Kuala Lumpur was Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Najib Tun Razak, who first proposed the idea of multinational maritime air patrols, or "eyes in the sky" at the Singapore Shangri-La Dialogue in June this year. Also at the event to launch the inaugural flight were Singapore's Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean and senior defence officials. Mr Teo said: "This is an excellent example of how a scheme can be put in place which is practical, useful and serves the needs of security in the Malacca Straits." A joint news release says an operation centre will be established in each of the participating states to coordinate the flight schedule. Initially, each state will conduct up to 2 patrols per week along the designated sectors of the area of operation. A monitoring and action agency will also be set up in each of the states to establish a listening watch during all flights. They will subsequently coordinate among themselves to undertake any follow-on responses within their own territorial waters, if required. Speaking at the launch, Mr Najib Tun Razak stressed the importance for the littoral states to send a strong signal to the international community that they were serious about the safety and security of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. He said the "Eyes in the Sky" initiative would complement the on-going coordinated patrols by the three countries. He described it as the first phase to enhance the safety and security of the straits. The second phase, he said, could involve the international community at a later stage. Mr Najib added that the operational concept of the initiative had also been finalised. In particular, each patrol representative of the three littoral states would be on board the aircraft of whichever country undertaking the patrolling. For the moment, Thailand would be an observer. Maritime experts say 25 percent of the world's sea-borne trade and 50 percent of its oil supplies are carried through the Straits of Malacca and Straits of Singapore. Concerns over the safety of the Straits have been in the limelight recently after the Lloyds Joint War Committee categorised them as a high risk zone for piracy and terrorism. At a recent meeting in Batam, the foreign ministers of the three littoral states expressed regret over the categorisation. They felt it had been done without consulting and taking into account the existing efforts of the littoral States to deal with the problems of safety of navigation and maritime security. © 2005 MCN International Pte Ltd.
Four Southeast Asian nations launch joint anti-terror air patrols over Malacca Global efforts to ensure maritime security in Malacca Straits promoted HubLine to expand box fleet Indonesia detains ships, crew Indonesia to resume border, extradition talks with neighbors 'Islamic phobia' allegation denied Joint air patrols over Malacca Strait to start next week: Jakarta Joint exercises to uphold strait’s security by Olivia Lee Langkawi ‘not a terrorist base’ Malacca security conference ends, issuing statement Malaysia says Malacca Strait safe for ships, plays down attack fears Marine: Urgent Action Needed To Reconcile Competing Interests Maritime body downplays fears of terrorist attacks in Malacca Straits Maritime concerns drive Southeast Asia war games MISC takes on new identity MISC To Expand Revenue Base From Third Party Businesses Najib Assures No Terrorist Activity In Langkawi Navy can deal with maritime terrorism New name, new focus for MISC Police reassure Melaka Strait safe for shipping RAAF set to fight piracy from the air by Michelle Wiese Bockmann Reliance On Foreign Vessels Leads To Deficit In Services Account RM1.4b plan to develop Mersing by R. Sittamparam Sabah, Sarawak ideal to develop shipbuilding Safety challenge for boxship design Security in the Straits: The threats and challenges by Nugroho Wisnumurti Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia agree on approach to maritime security by Johnson Choo Singapore PM says Asia's prospects good Singapore to contribute two planes for joint Malacca Strait patrols by S. Ramesh Singapore to expand manpower base Soldiers sought ransom for release of poachers? Straits of Malacca safe by Jason Gerald Statistics show Strait of Melaka one Of safest straits in the world Strong American presence expected at 2005 LIMA Thailand signs anti-piracy pact, may join air patrols over Malacca Strait Treasures from oldest sunken ship on show Waste handling now a major issue
Kuala Lumpur - Four Southeast Asian nations have launched joint military air patrols over the Straits of Malacca and Singapore as part of measures to prevent piracy and terrorism in the busy waterway. Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand said in a joint statement that other countries with a stake in the security of the straits are also welcome to join the Eyes in the Sky (EiS) project after a period of review. The EiS project was proposed by Malaysia in June and launched operationally today, with a C130 transporter of the Royal Malaysian Air Force flown by a crew from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Initially each of the four countries will take turns conducting up to two patrols per week. 'Being a strategic channel and vital to international trade, security of the straits is of paramount importance to the littoral states, user states and other stakeholders,' the four nations said in the statement. They said the three nations which border the strait, together with Thailand, have agreed to conduct the combined air patrols 'while respecting the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the littoral states. 'Other friendly states and stakeholders would be welcomed in the near future after a period of review with the agreement of the littoral states,' they said. Malaysian Defence Minister Najib Razak said at a press conference that countries including the US and Australia were welcome to participate as long as they meet the basic criteria to be set by the four founding nations. 'We hope that this is just the beginning. I consider this as phase one. Phase two will entail the involvement of the international community. We're hoping there will be offers from the international community to participate,' he said. 'Hopefully this will send a very strong message to the international community that we are serious about maintaining the security of the Malacca Strait.' An EiS Operations Centre will be established in each of the four nations to coordinate flights, along with a Monitoring and Action Agency (MAA) in each country which will coordinate any responses within their own waters. 'Intervention will be done by the country who has sovereignty in that particular area,' Najib said, emphasising the need to protect national sovereignty. The armed forces of the participating states will each provide maritime patrol aircraft, operated by a Combined Maritime Patrol Team which which broadcast any suspicious activity to the MAA. The 960 km Malacca Strait is one of the world's most important waterways, with 50,000 ships carrying about one-third of global trade passing through it each year. However it is notoriously vulnerable to pirate attacks and governments in the region also believe it is a tempting target for terrorists.© 2005 Forbes.com Inc.™
Global efforts to ensure maritime security in the Malacca Strait topped the agenda in the international arena, encouraged by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The Government of Indonesia and IMO held an international conference on the enhancement of maritime security in the Strait of Malacca, Sep. 7 ? 8, 2005, in Jakarta, in order to help strait user countries to actively participate in Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore joint efforts to eradicate pirate attacks in the Strait. The conference adopted a resolution covering measures of cooperation between coastal and user countries. Attending the meeting were about 200 representatives from 30 countries, which served as an excellent opportunity to realize the importance of the Strait and share views on the necessity for international cooperation. At the meeting, the Korean delegation, headed by Mr. Il-Young Jung, Director General for Maritime Safety Management of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, manifested its basic support for IMO initiatives to ensure maritime safety of requisite transport routes, in consideration of the strategic importance of the Strait, where 99% of Korea’s oil transports via and more than 30 per cent of cargo handling volume at sea passes through. Korea will make financial contributions of up to USD 1 million by 2007 to the Marine Electronic Highway (MEH) project from this year, as it hopes that the MEH project will continue to develop to a comprehensive safety management system dealing with affairs of marine security such as piracy and terrorism. The Strait of Malacca, linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, is the shortest sea route between three of the world's most populous countries -- India, China, and Indonesia -- and therefore is considered to be the key choke point in Asia. The narrowest point of this shipping lane is the Phillips Channel in the Singapore Strait, which is only 1.5 miles wide at its narrowest point. This creates a natural bottleneck, with the potential for a collision, grounding, or oil spill (in addition, piracy is a regular occurrence in the Singapore Strait). If the strait were closed, nearly half of the world's fleet would be required to sail further, generating a substantial increase in the requirement for vessel capacity. All excess capacity of the world fleet might be absorbed, with the effect strongest for crude oil shipments and dry bulk such as coal. Closure of the Strait of Malacca would immediately raise freight rates worldwide. More than 50,000 vessels per year transit the Strait of Malacca. With Chinese oil imports from the Middle East increasing steadily, the Strait of Malacca is likely to grow in strategic importance in coming years. © KTPress.
MALAYSIAN feeder operator HUBLine is planning to expand its fleet and will issue bonds under the Islamic finance facility to fund new acquisitions. The feeder company is active in the regional trades and has a fleet of 23 container ships. Older vessels will be sold and additional cash will be raised through bonds amounting to MYR200M ($53M). The money will be used to 'retire' a loan of MYR150M, for which the company is paying higher interest. From 15 October HUBLine will be introducing a new service from Shekou port in China's Shenzhen region to Brunei. Managing director Dennis Ling told Fairplay that three vessels each of 450 TEU will be deployed on the Shenzhen-Muara-Bintulu route with feedering to ports in Sarawak, Sabah and Indonesia’s West Kalimantan. The company already operates a service to East Malaysia from Shanghai. The China boom has led to demand for more shipping space, Ling said. Last month HUBLine started a service form Port Klang to Chennai traversing South-East Asian ports to handle transhipment cargo from North Asia. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2005.
Indonesian authorities have impounded 17 ships, including at least five foreign-flagged vessels, since February in anti-fuel smuggling operations, according to police reports. About 6,000 tons of fuel has been confiscated, including 3,000 tons on 27 August from the Korean-flagged oil tanker Tioman. Other foreign ships impounded include the Singapore-flagged tanker Eagle Memphis and the Panama-flagged tanker Niria. Five foreigners are among 58 people detained, all believed to be captains or crew. Indonesian officials have not released further details. Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in a recent speech that fuel smuggling had resulted in losses amounting to IDR8.8Trn ($8.74M) in losses each year. He indicated that officials from state-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina could be involved. Smugglers have siphoned fuel from Indonesia for decades, but the problem has received increased attention because of moves to cut fuel subsidies and hike by at least 40% from 1 October. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2005.
Jakarta - Indonesia will resume talks on possible extradition treaty with Singapore and talks on maritime border with Malaysia, including the disputed offshore area of Ambalat, the government said Friday. Indonesia will host the sixth meeting on extradition treaty with Singapore in October and the fifth meeting with Malaysia in December, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Yuri Oktavian Thamrin told a weekly press conference here. Yuri said talks with Singapore have made significant progress. "In the last two meetings, the talks focused on more concrete issues. We agreed on one article after another and both countries have agreed to conclude (the extradition treaty) soon," he said. Indonesia and Malaysia have met four times discussing Ambalat, which each has claimed to be its own. Yuri said both governments agreed to use the 1982 UN Conventionon the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as a reference in settling their disputes, but he did not elaborate any significant progress that might have been achieved. The dispute over Ambalat, an oil-rich area between Indonesia's East Kalimantan Province and Malaysia's Sabah State, culminated in February when both countries sent their warships to the area. © Xinhua News Agency.
Malaysian officials have refuted claims that muslim seafarers are being discriminated against by foreign owners because of their faith. “Religion has never been an issue,” a Marine Department spokesman emphasised to Fairplay today. Zaidi Mohd Shah, president of the Malaysian Seafarers’ Association, has alleged that Malaysians with names that includes the word ‘bin’ have been finding it extremely difficult to obtain jobs on foreign ships since the 11 September terrorist attacks. However, Zaidi, who had referred to ‘Islamic phobia', has little support for his claim. Mustafa Kamal Yusop, the secretary of the Malaysian Maritime Association, said he has not received any complaints regarding discrimination based on religion. “We don’t see any problem except the one related to food supplied on board,” Mustafa said. The union includes officers as members. Domestic ship owner HUBline has also denied that foreign seafarers are preferred because of low wages. “Quality could be a factor,” managing director Dennis Ling told Fairplay, adding that local owners are paying more for foreign seafarers. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2005.
Jakarta - Four-nation joint aerial patrols will be launched next week over the Malacca Strait as part of efforts to counter threats of piracy and terrorism in the vital waterway, Indonesia said Thursday. The "eye in the skies" air patrols would be launched Tuesday after signing that day of an agreement by the defence ministers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in Subang, Malaysia, said Navy Colonel Surya Wiranto. The three littoral states of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have already begun coordinated sea patrols of the waterway, but agreed last month to boost surveillance with joint air patrols. The Malacca Strait is one of the world's most important waterways, with 50,000 ships carrying about one-third of the globe's trade passing through it each year. However the strait, 960 kilometres (600 miles) long and 1.2 kilometres wide at its narrowest, is vulnerable to pirate attacks and governments in the region also believe it is a tempting target for terrorists. Wiranto said the air surveillance scheme, originally proposed by Malaysia, would involve up to two maritime patrol aircraft from each nation that would operate seven days a week. The aircraft, which must have one military officer from each participating nation on board, would be allowed to fly above waters of the four nations no less than three nautical miles from land. "If Indonesia is unable to send (a representative), then those airplanes will not be allowed to enter our territory. The principle of sovereignty will remain in place," said Wiranto, an operational assistant with the Indonesian navy's western fleet. Speaking on the sidelines of a two-day meeting on security issues in the strait, Wiranto said further details of the scheme were still being hammered out. The meeting earlier witnessed the signing of an agreement between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and the International Maritime Organisation and various international shipping operators to place a radar surveillance system along the strait. Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said last Saturday after talks with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that he supported the joint air patrol initiative and would consider further contributions to security in the region. Mr Lee said although Thailand was not a littoral state of the waterway, it was situated on its northern approaches and could become involved in protecting the area. © 2005 Agence France Presse.
Security along the Straits of Malacca has been enhanced, thanks to the joined maritime exercises between Malaysia’s marine police and their Indonesian counterpart. These exercises are constantly held to keep pirates at bay and the most recent drill took place from Sept 5-13 along the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea. The exercise was focused along the waterways of Selangor and Johor. Internal Security and Public Order Department deputy director (I), Deputy Commissioner Mohd Anuar Mohd Zain said joint patrols helped cover a wider area. “Crime is better fought this way. We patrol the areas to ensure they are free from enemy threats,” he said at the closing ceremony of the exercise held at the Southern Region Marine Police headquarters in Tampoi. The exercises between the two countries began 19 years ago and the training this time involved two ships from each country with a total of 100 personnel onboard. Among the objectives for the co-ordinated exercise, he said, were to increase bilateral ties and effectiveness of law enforcement between the two maritime enforcement agencies. © 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd.
Petaling Jaya - Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has denied reports of Thai Muslim militants using Langkawi to plan their attacks in southern Thailand. “There are no terrorists in Langkawi,” he said when asked to comment on Thai Defence Minister Thammarak Isarangura's recent claim that militants had held several meetings on the island. Najib said Malaysia has no knowledge of such meetings and would like the Thai government to provide information on the matter. “I do not know what the Thai Defence Minister meant when he said that,” he said. Thammarak had alleged that “leading Thai troublemakers” held several meetings in Langkawi and they repeatedly entered and left the island legally. Asked whether such allegations could affect the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) Exhibition in December, Najib said it would not. “This is because it (the meetings) never happened,” he said. On the meeting between Malaysian and Thai military officials in Bangkok on Friday, Najib said the two armies had agreed to work together to protect the peace along the common border. “We agreed that confidence building steps should be taken to bring peace to the areas,” he said. Najib said the issue of the 131 Thai Muslims who crossed into Malaysia to escape the violence in southern Thailand was also discussed. “We will conduct further investigations on the matter,” he said. Najib said the proposal to establish a base for Joint Forces Command that was set up last year would be implemented. “The Joint Forces Command is already operational as it only needed a change in posts. We have already carried out joint operations,” he said. © 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd.
Jakarta - The two-day meeting on the Malacca and Singapore straits entitled "Enhancing Safety, Security and Environment Protection" concluded on September 8 with the release of "Jakarta Statement". More than 230 delegates from 34 countries including Viet Nam, and regional and international organisations attended the event. The statement reiterates the significance of increasing maritime security and protecting the environment of the Malacca and Singapore Straits on the principles of respect for national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the jurisdiction of three littoral states including Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Delegates discussed issues on managing the waterway, the views of users on the need to cooperate in the Malacca Strait, social responsibility of the shipbuilding industry, and cooperation models. On this occasion, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Marine Electronic Highway (MEH), which will monitor ships passing the waterway, supervise the environment and increase security in the straits. © Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia on Monday said the Malacca Strait was safe for seafarers, playing down the fears of some regional governments which believe the vital waterway is a tempting target for terrorists. Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said joint air patrols with Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand to be launched Tuesday would further bolster security in the strait. "The strait is very safe and the agreement is to beef up existing joint efforts in safeguarding the security of the strait," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency. "To say it's dangerous, exposed to all kinds of threat, it's exaggeration," he added. Defense ministers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand on Tuesday will sign an agreement to launch the "eye in the skies" air patrols. The three littoral states of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have already begun coordinated sea patrols but agreed last month to boost surveillance with joint air patrols. The Malacca Strait is one of the world's most important waterways, with 50,000 ships carrying about one-third of the globe's trade passing through it each year. However the strait, 960 kilometers (600 miles) long and 1.2 kilometers wide at its narrowest, is vulnerable to pirate attacks and some governments in the region also believe it is a tempting target for terrorists. Last month Malaysia urged an international insurance body to remove the Malacca Strait from a list of waterways deemed dangerous, saying ships were safe from terror attacks and piracy was contained. Malaysia is fast expanding its ports such as Port Klang that sits on the Malacca Strait. An international insurance body has declared the strait dangerous and some underwriters may impose additional premiums for ships plying the strait, which could affect traffic at Malaysian ports. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has listed the strait, and the waters around Indonesia, as among the world's worst for piracy, and some regional governments believe ships could be targeted by terrorists. © The Jakarta Post.
Kuala Lumpur - Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said Monday that an urgent action is needed to reconcile competing interests and activities impacting on the country's marine environment. He said this was important to chart the country's course towards healthy, safe and prosperous oceans for the benefit of all. On the same note, Jamaludin said that the losses of natural resource productivity, unwelcome invasion of exotic plant and animal species and overall ecosystem imbalance would eventually lead to the degradation of the coastal and marine environment. "And all of these threaten the future of our oceans and seas," he said in his speech at the opening of the International Conference on Innovations and Technologies in Oceanography for Sustainable Development (ITOS 2005) here today. Jamaludin's text of speech was read by the ministry's Parliamentary Secretary Professor Datuk Mohd Rudin Abdul Ghani. About 200 participants from 21 countries are attending the four-day conference jointly organised by Universiti Malaya's Maritime Research Centre and the National Oceanography Directorate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations. Jamaludin said that some of the challenges which need to be tackled included wise-use of maritime space, biodiversity conservation and preservation of the marine environment, protection of underwater cultural heritage and sustainable development of marine resources. However, Jamaludin said that Malaysia accorded a very high priority to the need to conserve the nation's rich biological diversity both terrestrial and marine. "As far back as in April 1998, Malaysia launched its National Policy on Biological Diversity, reflecting the government's commitment in the conservation of our nation's rich biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources in the country," he said. He also said that biotechnology had been acknowledged as a key driver of growth for Malaysia, as the county heads towards achieving the vision of becoming a developed knowledge economy by 2020. "Biotechnology depends on biodiversity. As such, Malaysia's marine biotechnology programme should seek to optimise the value of the nation's rich marine biodiversity and resource asset by applying biotechnology to produce new products and opportunities for the Malaysian industry", he said. © 2005 BERNAMA
Kuala Lumpur - A maritime watchdog has played down fears of a terrorist attack on ships plying the busy Malacca Straits. Many maritime experts have expressed fears that terrorists could hijack big tankers and use them as floating bombs in the waterway which carries half of the world's oil and a third of its trade. But the International Maritime Bureau downplayed these concerns. "After 9/11, you cannot ignore the possibility of a maritime terrorism," IMB director Pottengal Mukundan told reporters at a symposium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday. But he noted that law-enforcement agencies in the region are on high alert when such large vulnerable vessels pass through the Malacca Straits. "Big vulnerable vessels don't go into the centre of population, so it is not easy to achieve the type of results terrorists are looking for... which is worldwide publicity for a long period of time," Mukundan said. Also, the development of yachting and other tourism and commercial activities in Southeast Asian waters would spur governments to boost maritime security, he added. "The more commerce and leisure activities, the greater the imperative on law enforcement agencies and governments to keep the waters safe. It's a multi-million-dollar industry and they will protect it," said Mukundan, who works in the maritime watchdog's London office. He also noted that the vast majority of attacks on ships in waterways were opportunist, low-level crimes. There were only two recent maritime terrorist incidents - the attack on the Limburg tanker off the coast of Yemen in October 2002 and a bomb placed on a super ferry in the Philippines last year. No great environmental problems were caused in the Limburg case and impact on commerce was minimal, said Mukundan. The two-day Kuala Lumpur symposium on Thursday and Friday is looking at ways to develop marine tourism in Southeast Asia. Entitled "Yangon to Manila Bay: A New Cruising Playground", the symposium sets out projects to promote the development of the waters from Myanmar's capital Yangon to Manila Bay in the Philippines as a new "borderless" regional cruising playground. Meanwhile, Malaysia says it is in talks with Indonesia and the Philippines to allow their naval forces to pursue pirates in each other's waters to step up security in the Malacca Straits. Abdul Hadi Rashid, director of the Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Centre, said Malaysia already has a mechanism in place with Indonesia and the Philippines on coastal surveillance and security. But there is no agreement to allow the pursuit of pirates in each other's territorial waters. "This is still at a discussion level," Abdul Hadi said. He didn't elaborate. Allowing naval and marine police of the countries into their waters would be an unprecedented step for the three Southeast Asian countries which zealously guard their territorial integrity. Abdul Hadi also said Malaysia has put up radar systems along the Malacca Straits and would set up a new coast guard enforcement agency soon. Separately, Indonesia and Singapore will launch a surveillance radar system later this week in a bid to boost waterway security in the Singapore Strait. The system would begin monitoring the narrow stretch of water on Friday after a ceremony to be held at an Indonesian naval base on Sumatra's Batam island, near Singapore, said Indonesia's Colonel Sumantri. "It aims to provide better security monitoring -- including the surveillance of potential pirate attacks -- in Singapore Strait," he told AFP. A major shipping route of Southeast Asia, the waterway is located between the island city-state and Indonesia's Riau archipelago, and links the Malacca Straits with the South China Sea. However Sumantri could not say if the radar system would be sufficient enough to also oversee security in the Malacca Straits. © 2005 MCN International Pte Ltd.
Kuantan - Australia, Britain, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore signaled the growing importance of Asian maritime security on Thursday, starting their annual war-games with a strong focus on naval exercises. Twenty-six naval ships, one of the biggest fleets assembled in the 34-year-old joint exercise, gathered in the South China Sea, off Malaysia and Singapore, for drills increasingly designed to tackle terrorism rather than wage conventional war. "Terrorism can occur anywhere. The threat here in this region is probably no greater and no less than in other areas," New Zealand Air Commodore R.J. Newlands said at the launch. But the strength of the naval contingent reflects growing concerns in Southeast Asia on maritime security, military officials said, with the Malacca Strait, carrying a quarter of world trade, dogged by piracy and fears of a terror attack. The exercise, which runs until September 28, is part of an upgrading of a Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA) pact. The accord was established in 1971, primarily to protect Malaysia and Singapore, formerly British colonies, from invasion. Its focus has recently been widened from traditional warfare to include counter-terror operations. The exercise will also include 74 military aircraft, one submarine and 3,000 soldiers, and will cover Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and the South China Sea, the military officials said. "The main objective of the exercise is to conduct combined joint operations in a multi-threat scenario," Malaysian defense chief Admiral Mohamed Anwar Mohamed Nor told reporters at the launch in the northeastern city of Kuantan. "So far there's no real threat yet...we are always prepared for such contingencies," he added. Security experts are especially concerned about the Malacca Strait, which threads its way between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. It links the oil-producing nations of the Middle East with East Asian oil guzzlers such as Japan and China. These three littoral countries and Thailand started joint air patrols of the waterway this week. The planes will operate from all four countries, using radar and digital imaging to spot pirates and direct naval and coastguard vessels to intercept them. © Reuters 2005.
In its first corporate makeover since the company was established 37 years ago, Malaysia International Shipping Corp Bhd will now be known simply as MISC Bhd. “This new corporate identity is in line with MISC's transformation from a multi-focused shipping company to a global energy-focused maritime transportation and logistics corporation,'' the company said in a statement released in conjunction with the launch of MISC's new logo and corporate brand in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Chairman Tan Sri Hassan Marican said in his speech that while the group was now focused on being a global energy transportation provider, it would not neglect its role as the national shipping company. “We will continue to build capacity and capability to enhance Malaysia's position as one of the leading maritime nations and, at the same time, contribute towards reducing the country's services account deficit,'' he said. Hassan also said the new corporate identity on its own would not guarantee success for the group, adding that new measures had been put in place to turn MISC into a performance-driven organisation. “MISC must continue to prove that it will deliver quality services at competitive prices and, at the same time, expand its revenue base, especially from third-party businesses,'' he added. MISC is the largest single owner-operator of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers and the second largest owner of Aframax tankers in the world. It has 107 vessels calling at more than 300 ports. The group, which was floated on the main board of the stock exchange in 1987, is Bursa Malaysia's fourth largest company in terms of market capitalisation. Separately, MISC said in a statement that the shift of focus to the oil and gas sector would allow the group to leverage on its synergies with parent company, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas). “The acquisition of American Eagle Tankers (AET) and the subsequent expansion of the company's petroleum business, its aggressive entry into the offshore floating facility business and the expansion of its LNG business worldwide is part of MISC's move to expand its horizon and make its footprint in the global market,'' the statement said. © 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd.
Kuala Lumpur - MISC Bhd must continue to expand its revenue base, especially from third party businesses, says chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican. "While much of the MISC's business is derived from Petronas and being part of the Petronas group is a privilege, it will not necessarily guarantee that MISC will be able to obtain business at any cost," he said. Therefore, MISC must continue to prove that it would be able to deliver quality service at competitive prices, he said at the launch of MISC's new corporate identity, here Thursday. Incorporated 37 years ago and listed on Bursa Malaysia for the past 17 years, MISC, previously known as Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Bhd, formulated its new identity in line with its transition from a multi-focused shipping company to an energy-focused global maritime transportation and logistics corporation. Mohd Hassan, who is also Petronas president and chief executive officer, said that MISC has made encouraging progress in its transformation process. "We have revamped the organisation to have a more balanced growth strategy and enhance operational efficiency. We have put in place measures to run MISC into a performance-driven organisation," he said. MISC, he said, has come a long way since its establishment and Petronas would continue to support the corporation to realise its vision in becoming a global champion within the maritime, logistics and transportation industry. As much of its success has been based on mutually advantageous partnerships and collaboration, the pursuance of strategic and energetic partnerships as well as long-term relations would remain a major focus, he said. MISC was incorporated on November 1968 and its first vessel "Bunga Raya" was launched at Sumitomo Shipbuilding yard at Uraga in Japan in July 1970. It now has a fleet of 107 vessels, calling at more than 300 ports. Petronas' involvement in the MISC began in the 1980s with the charter of MISC's vessels for its LNG business before it acquired a 29.3 percent stake in the shipping corporation in 1997 and increasing it to 62 percent a year later. Mohd Hassan said that the acquisition of American Eagle Tanker (AET) by MISC, took the industry by surprise and attracted negative comments but due to this foresight, MISC was today the largest single owner operator of LNG tankers and second largest owner of Aframax tankers in the world. In his speech, he related how the country's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj was struck with the idea of setting up the nation's shipping line when Japan agreed to reparations for the war damages. As critics were quick to predict the shipping line's demise, the Tunku said, "The most I could make of the ships was to display them as white elephants, so said all the prophets. In short, the advice I received all round dampened the spirit but did not dishearten me". Mohd Hassan said the late Tunku would certainly be proud to see where MISC is today. © 2005 BERNAMA.
Shah Alam - Malaysia denied there was any sort of terrorist activity in Langkawi, including meetings of Thai separatists planning an insurgency in south Thailand, as alleged by Thai Defence Minister Thammarak Isarangura Na Ayutthaya. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Malaysia had not found any evidence of such meetings taking place on the holiday island. "If Thailand has any information about terrorist activities on Langkawi, please let us know. Until now, we don't have any evidence whatsoever," he told reporters after participating in the Business Times Golf Invitation at the Saujana Golf & Country Club here. Najib was commenting on a report by Reuters quoting Thammarak as saying Thai separatists had held several meetings in Langkawi to plan attacks in southern Thailand. Asked if the allegation might affect people's confidence in the Langkawi International Maritime and Air Expo (LIMA 2005) to be held from Dec 6 to 11, Najib, who is also Defence Minister, said it would not happen. "No, not at all...because there is no terrorist activity whatsoever in Langkawi," he said. On the meeting of high-ranking Malaysian and Thai military officials in Bangkok on Friday, he said the meeting was good as both parties agreed to cooperate to preserve peace and security along their common border. Malaysia and Thailand also agreed on confidence-building measures to calm the situation along the border, he said. In the meeting held at Thailand's armed forces headquarters, Malaysia and Thailand were represented by their respective armed forces chief, Admiral Tan Sri Mohamad Anwar Mohamad Nor and Gen Chaiyasith Shinawatra. © 2005 BERNAMA.
The navy is prepared to deal with maritime terrorist threats. Malaysian armed forces chief Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor said the navy had sufficient capacity to deal with such threats. Anwar was speaking after the launch of the Maritime Terrorism and the Straits of Malacca seminar yesterday. The seminar was opened by Defence Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Subhan Jasmon. "We are discussing preventive measures and contingency plans so that enforcement agencies can deal with such threats," Anwar said. He also said his statements were not in response to the Lloyds Market Association report which character- ised the straits as a high-risk water- way. Anwar said no country has offered to participate in the "Eye in the Sky" programme, launched on Sept 13. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had invited members of the international community to participate in the surveillance programme to monitor the Straits of Malacca. Currently, the responsibility lies with the littoral states of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The one-day seminar on maritime terrorism was aimed at increasing awareness on possible terrorist threats in the Straits of Malacca. Attended by 50 participants, the event saw representatives from international defence agencies such as Australia, the United States, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore sharing their expertise on the matter. In his keynote address, Subhan suggested that littoral states establish meaningful dialogues and linkages with other stakeholders and non-littoral states to provide better security for the straits. © 2004 NST Online.
MALAYSIA’S national shipping line Malaysia International Shipping Corp has emphasised its emergence as a global energy transport major by unveiling a new corporate identity yesterday. Tankers comprise a majority of its fleet of 107 ships. The company will now be known only by its acronym MISC, although chairman Hassan Marican stressed that global ambitions would not reduce the company’s role to serve national interests and those of parent Petronas, the state-owned oil and gas giant. The acquisition of American Eagle Tankers in 2003 has raised the global profile of the company in the oil trades. It remains the world’s largest operator of LNG ships. MISC is also active in the container trades, but it has signalled its intention to dispense with old tonnage and focus on long-haul trades through partnerships. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2005.
Johor Baharu - The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Tuesday reassured that the Melaka Strait is safe for merchant ships. Internal Security and Public Order deputy director I, DCP Mohd Anuar Mohd Zain said the 780-nautical-mile strait was constantly under tight surveillance by the littoral states of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. "With facilities like control towers and sophisticated radar, we are constantly monitoring it to ensure it is safe from piracy or hijackings," he told reporters when asked to comment on a report by Lloyds (a London insurance underwriter) which said the strait posed a high risk for merchant shipping. He had earlier closed a course for coordinated patrolling of the strait between PDRM and the Republic of Indonesia Police (Polri) at the Southern Region Marine Police Headquarters in Tampoi near here Tuesday. Also present were Johor police chief, Datuk Mohd Amir Sulaiman, Southern Region Marine Police acting chief, Supt Omar Dawam and the head of the Polri delegation, Commissioner-General Drs I Lebang. Anuar said, according to Maritime Institute of Malaysia statistics, there were only 17 incidents which was only a 0.02 piracy threat when compared to the 63,000 ships that passed the strait last year. On the course, Mohd Anuar said it focussed on coordinated patrolling and communications procedures between the two nations. The coordinated patrols between the two forces began on Sept 5 and ended today and is annual exercise which has been carried out since 1986. © 2005 BERNAMA.
Australian warplanes could soon be flying patrols to help secure the world's busiest shipping lane, Southeast Asia's pirate-infested Malacca Strait. Navy chief Russ Shalders has offered to provide RAAF aircraft for joint patrols of the piracy hotspot amid concerns that al-Qa'ida-sponsored regional terror groups have infiltrated local piracy gangs. "We would be very happy to help in terms of providing experience in air patrolling," said Vice-Admiral Admiral Shalders, who is in Malaysia for a two-week joint defence exercise. But he said Australia needed a formal request from the Malaysian Government before any official offer could be made. New Zealand made a similar offer of assistance during Exercise Bersama Lima, wargames that began last Thursday in which Malaysia, Singapore and Britain are also participating. The foriegn-surveillance proposal comes after Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand last week began the first-ever joint piracy air patrols over the congested waterway, where violent and well-organised piracy gangs have operated for decades. The offers were made in response to rising international concerns and pressure from Australia, the US and Japan about maritime security and terrorism threats along the 960km-long waterway. About 50,000 ships carrying a quarter of the world's trade and half its oil pass through the dangerous Malacca Strait each year. The area, which recorded 38 attacks on ships last year, was placed on a par with Iraq as a high-risk region for war and terrorism by the Lloyd's of London insurance market in July. Jemaah Islamiah, the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have all been linked to piracy attacks in the area. A spokesman for Defence Minister Robert Hill was unable to clarify if Australia had made or received any formal offer to join the air patrols. But Senator Hill indicated last month that he was pushing for closer regional surveillance and intelligence-sharing in the Malacca Strait. In a major departure from attitudes a year ago, the three Asian nations with jurisdiction over the Malacca Strait indicated last week that they would consider any foreign offers to help secure the vital waterway from piracy and maritime terrorism. Malaysian and Indonesian leaders last year flatly rejected a similar offer by the US to monitor and patrol the area. Australia is supporting Malaysia's bid to join the UN's International Maritime Organisation, which is responsible for overseeing global merchant shipping. Piracy survivors have reported that highly organised and violent criminal gangs with corporate structures have operated with impunity in the Malacca Strait, hijacking ships, stealing valuable cargoes, and killing crews or demanding ransoms. The so-called "Eyes in the Sky" air patrols began last week, more than a year after the first co-ordinated piracy sea patrols started. The initiative followed decades of political inertia that prevented effective monitoring of the longstanding problem of piracy. There were 127 piracy attacks recorded around the world in the first six months of this year, a third of which occurred in Indonesian waters. © The Australian.
Petaling Jaya - Outflows due to reliance on foreign shipping services were the biggest culprit to the deficit in the country's services account, says Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy Saturday. Although the government had over the last 30 years taken steps to expand the capacity of the country's shipping industry, the outflows for freight was still the biggest contributor in the deficit of the services account, he said. However, the country's main shipping corporation, Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC) had made encouraging development by becoming the largest owner and operator of liquefied natural gas vessels in the world, he said in his speech at the World Maritime Day 2005 here. Chan's speech was delivered by his deputy Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan ibni Sultan Abu Bakar. Tengku Azlan told a press conference later that 90 percent of Malaysia's trade that was transported by sea, was still shipped using foreign vessels. As such, he called on local ship owners to take measures to further develop their shipping operations. © 2005 BERNAMA.
Mersing, Johor - Mersing in Johor is to get a makeover, from being a remote island hoppers’ transit town to an eco-tourism hub in the region. District officer Zalil Baron said a marina and other developments would transform the district into a major tourist destination under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. Zalil said the proposed RM1.43 billion makeover would enable Mersing, now known only as a take-off point to Pulau Tioman in Pahang, to capitalise on its eco-tourism products. "The proposed RM30 million marina project at Tanjung Leman will be a major boost for tourism at the islands off Mersing. "Currently the islands — Pulau Sibu, Tinggi, Besar, Rawa, Pemanggil and Aur — have not been drawing enough tourists compared to Tioman." Last year, 72,594 tourists went to the islands from the Mersing and Tanjung Leman jetties. "It is notable that the number of tourists visiting Tioman exceeded those heading for the Mersing islands by more than 70 per cent," Zalil added. He said to improve the situation, the Johor National Park Corp had also proposed to build new jetties at Pulau Besar, Pemanggil, Sibu and Tinggi at a cost of RM10.5 million. He added that the state Marine Department had also proposed to build the RM85 million Pulau Batu Cawan jetty at the Sungai Mersing estuary in Mersing town to improve ferry services to the islands. He said besides promoting the islands and the Endau-Rompin national park, Mersing would also offer tourists the sun, sand and shopping packages. He said the beaches at Tanjung Leman, Tenglu, Teluk Buih, Air Papan and Penyabung had vast tourism potential. "Under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, we eased road access to these beaches and under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, we propose to build the Sedili-Endau and Kluang-Mersing roads at a cost of RM130 million and RM100 million respectively. "We also hope to build the Air Papan-Tanjung Resang road under a RM10.5 million state allocation." Zalil said considering that most of the district’s 69,947 population was involved in the tourism industry, Mersing folk would benefit from the district’s proposed Ninth Plan development projects. He said all new projects and economic activities in Mersing would seek to preserve the environment and natural resources of the district. He said proposals by the Defence Ministry to build a RM9 million Hyperbaric Compression Chamber (rescue and treatment system for deep-sea divers) and the completion of phase two of its Gerup Gerak Khas facility at Tanjung Sekakap near Jemaluang, costing RM400 million, would benefit the economy. On top of this, the Higher Education Ministry proposed the setting up of the Maritime Faculty of Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn at Teluk Buih near Endau. He added that the private sector had proposed to work with government sectors to improve Mersing’s public transport system, build lodgings including a five-star hotel and recreational fishing facilities to promote tourism. © 2004 NST Online.
Kota Kinabalu: Development of marine engineering related industries, including shipbuilding and repairing, is an important sector the maritime industry in Sabah and Sarawak can exploit further. EMMC 2005 Organising Chairman, Tan Sri Halim Mohammad, said a concerted and coordinated approach could be taken to first rehabilitate and rejuvenate some of the existing yards that have potential but have fallen behind due to poor management or inadequate capitalisation. "Shipbuilding and repairing facilities with proven track records, like a few in Sarawak, must be supported to re-equip themselves with new technology and acquire new expertise," he added. Shipbuilding is a very capital-intensive industry and the support of the governments, both at federal and state levels, is important in this regard. "We have seen the rise of the shipbuilding industry in South Korea due to the strong support of the government, including through the provision of direct and indirect subsidiesªut sad to say this has not been the case with Malaysia," he explained. He said rather than trying to be overly ambitious in a highly competitive international sector, we could look into meeting some specialist needs like developing a niche in marine engineering and construction for the oil and gas industry. "Good progress has been made by some yards in Sabah and Sarawak in this regard in building offshore platforms for the oil and gas industries. We could move into the development of floating production vessels and floating platforms, as well as build offshore support vessels, including crew boats, tugs, barges, coastal patrol craft and boats, fishery vessels and other vessels in a similar class. "The miles and miles of shoreline at the disposal of the two states make East Malaysia an attractive location and the perfect one for the development of the shipbuilding industry," he said. Halim, meanwhile, suggested that the higher learning institutions in Sabah and Sarawak, including campuses of universities, get actively involved in research and development (R&D) related to the maritime industry. "It is somewhat sad but true that we seem to have left out our universities and higher learning institutions in the R&D on those issues affecting the maritime industry. This is an area where there is an enormous scope for work on various issues that would concern the maritime industry of the country," he said. There are specific local industry issues of importance to Sabah and Sarawak that need to be researched, he added. These includes in areas such as human resource development for the maritime industry, an inventory take and research into our marine eco-systems and resources surrounding the waters of these two states, development of logistics services sector, financing, port development, marine engineering and a host of other related issues. "The contributions of R&D will be a major input in our efforts to become a maritime nation and I would like to see more such research efforts coming from this part of our country," said Halim. Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) for instance, he said, could work out collaborative maritime research projects with the Universiti Malaya Maritime Research Centre (UMMReC) which has taken a lead in this respect. There is, for example, a need to take an inventory and study the marine eco-system of Sabah and the country. "We must first know what is in our backyard if we are to progress ahead with ambitious attempts to become a maritime nation," he said, adding that much more remains by way of exploiting and harnessing opportunities for Sabah and Sarawak to play a bigger role and contribute in making Malaysia a leading maritime nation. © Daily Express, Sabah.
DESIGNERS and builders of container ships will have to embrace new safety features in the years ahead in order to bring down accident rates among stevedores. Mike Compton, chairman of the safety panel of ICHCA International, told delegates at Hamburg’s boxship conference today that new IMO rules pertaining to the secure stowage of containers can be expected to come into force in two or three years time. The IMO’s code of safe practice for cargo stowage and securing (CSS code) is to be revised as a result of a submission by the UK to the MSC in May, Compton pointed out. Safe access to cargo during loading and discharging has been compromised over the years through the minimising of deck areas for highest possible intake of containers, he argued. This led to appalling accident rates among stevedores, which in turn prompted some terminal operators to launch safety programmes. Steve Durham, senior safety manager at Hutchison Ports UK in Felixstowe, explained that the UK’s premier container port was able to bring down accident rates during lashing operations by one-third through a wide-ranging accident prevention programme launched in 2002. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2005.
Over the last few years security threats in the Malacca and Singapore straits have heightened. The prospect of terrorist attacks and attacks involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the waterways are real. These developments have raised serious concerns, not only among the coastal states bordering the straits (Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore), but also the user states such as Japan, China, South Korea, India and the United States. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), at least 50,000 ships sail through the Malacca strait every year, transporting the oil needs of China and Japan (80 percent of both Japan's and China's oil needs) and about 30 percent of the world's trade goods. In fact, the strait is a passageway for a third of the world's crude oil. Thus the Strait of Malacca, which constitutes the second-busiest shipping lane in the world, has a quite significant strategic value. Last year, Adm. Thomas Fargo, head of the U.S. forces in the Asia and Pacific in his testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee suggested that U.S. troops assist in patrolling the Strait of Malacca to deter terrorists who might target vessels in the strait, under the so-termed Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI). Indonesia and Malaysia immediately expressed their objections. Deploying foreign forces to the strait, which is part of the territorial sea and economic zone of the littoral states, would infringe upon the sovereign rights of those states and would internationalize the strait. Another reason for opposing the deployment of foreign forces is the fear of a backlash from radical elements in the littoral states. While Indonesia and Malaysia have taken a firm stand against the deployment of foreign forces in the Strait of Malacca to combat piracy and terrorism, Singapore has shown some flexibility on this issue While among the states bordering the Malacca and Singapore straits there have always been some differences of opinion, the three littoral states have shared responsibility for the safety of the strait and the protection and preservation of its marine environment. In order to help the littoral states, Japan, for example, as a user state established the Malacca Strait Council, which provides a revolving fund for combating marine pollution from ships in the straits. While the interest of the littoral states was initially driven by the desire to ensure the safety of the straits and to protect the environment it is undeniable that the straits constitute part of an area that is a major security concern for the coastal states, as evident in various ASEAN security agreements such as the 1971 Treaty on the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality in Southeast Asia (ZOPFAN), 1995 Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and the recently adopted ASEAN Security Community as a part of the Bali Concord II. There is no doubt that the straits have strategic value for the major powers that have stakes in the region. The United States is a major player in the region, which has interest in maintaining its dominance and influence. China is acknowledged as the rising power in the region -- economically, politically and militarily. China is flexing its military muscle as well as its ability to deploy "soft power" to challenge the dominance of the U.S. and to check the growing influence of its rival rising power, India. China recently even conducted war games with Russia in the Yellow Sea codenamed "Peace Mission 2005". Thus it is logical that China opposes the Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI) proposed by the U.S. Furthermore, China with its incredible economic growth is in serious need of oil from the Middle East passing through the straits. It is, therefore, clear that in this power game, the security of the straits is of paramount importance to China. Japan, struggling to regain the status of the economic locomotive of Asia and to raise its political profile in the region and in the global arena, has the interest of preventing the flow of needed oil through being disrupted. India as another rising power and an acknowledged nuclear power is also aspiring for dominance in the region, flexing its military muscle and sending its naval fleet to make port visits in the region, including to Jakarta harbour recently. These developments can only be construed as a part of the changing strategic environment in the region, which has to be taken into account by the littoral states. It is essential that in addressing the security threats in the straits, the littoral states should avoid being dragged into the power games of outside powers. What the littoral states need is for the major players in the region to be working for the establishment of a new power equilibrium. It is necessary that further efforts for sustainable and effective cooperation be made, inter alia:
* Upholding the principles contained in the Joint Ministerial Statement on the straits of Malacca and Singapore issued by the foreign ministers of the three littoral states on Aug. 2.
* Establishing a permanent joint mechanism composed of naval officers at working level from the three littoral states based in one of the littoral states that has the best access to the straits. This mechanism would serve as a center for monitoring and reporting, the exchange of information and the sharing of intelligence, and for a quick-response command.
* More effective coordinated patrols by the navies and other enforcement agencies of the littoral states, with an arrangement that allows "hot pursuit" into the territorial sea of another littoral state.
* Drawing up clear guidelines or "rules of engagement" and other procedures necessary for effective law enforcement operations;
* Investigating and taking action against perpetrators of piracy/sea robbers at its source, i.e. at villages or other sites where they launch their action from, or where they hide, and isolating them from the local elements supporting them.
* Ensure the effective implementation of air patrol over the Straits of Malacca and Singapore dubbed "The Eyes in the Sky" (EiS) adopted recently by the Jakarta Meeting on the Straits of Malacca and Singapore organized by the three littoral States, Thailand and IMO (International Maritime Organization).
* Oppose the use of a private armed escort to protect ships passing through the straits.
* User States should provide financial assistance, and for that purpose establish a system of burden-sharing by, for example, establishing a revolving fund such as the existing one established by Japan;
* The three littoral states should promote cooperation with and seek assistance from the IMO and other appropriate international organizations.
* User states should provide assistance by providing the necessary equipment, training for capacity-building, exchange of information and sharing of intelligence. [The writer was formerly Indonesian ambassador/permanent representative to the United Nations in New York and in Geneva. He is currently a senior fellow of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The article is an abbreviated version of an essay due to appear in the forthcoming issue of the Duta Journal, published by the Indonesian Council on World Affairs]. © The Jakarta Post.
Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed there must be a comprehensive approach to maritime security which includes transboundary crimes such as piracy, armed robbery and terrorism. And while they respect the sovereignty of the three littoral states, they also welcome the assistance of those using the Malacca and Singapore straits in making the sea lanes safer. This was the conclusion from the Trilateral Foreign Ministers Meeting on the Straits of Malacca held in Batam on Tuesday that will be discussed with international agencies like ASEAN, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the International Maritime Organisation. Saying they are happy with the success of coordinated sea patrols, the ministers add there are no plans to conduct joint patrols at present. "The Trilateral Coordinated Patrol is a good start, but we've got to build on it. And as (Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister) Syed Hamid said, the proposal for "eye-in-the-sky" will greatly augment the effectiveness of our coordinated patrols," said Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo. "We believe that this air surveillance is an important component in the larger context of the existing efforts to help secure the Straits of Malacca and Singapore," said Indonesian Foreign Minister Noer Hassan Wirajuda. Currently, the defence chiefs of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand are in Kuala Lumpur to discuss expanding the scope of coordinated patrols to include the "eye-in-the-sky" maritime air surveillance proposed by Malaysia. But will this mean higher costs for users of the straits? "We know the users have offered some help, at present we leave it at that....we haven't touched on the question of tariff at all," said Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar. The three littoral states will also establish a Tripartite Technical Experts Group on Maritime Security. This will complement the work on safety of navigation done over the past 30 years. The meeting in Batam is not the first time the three countries have met to discuss the issues. Discussions dated as far back as 1971 and they led to the signing of the Agreement on Safety of Navigation in 1977 when it was agreed the safety of navigation along the Straits of Malacca and Singapore is the responsibility of the three littoral states. - CNA/ir Copyright © 2005 MCN International Pte Ltd.
The rapid economic ascent of China and India is fueling Asia's growth, but Islamic terrorism remains a threat to stability in the region, Singapore's leader said Monday. At a business conference, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also said Japan's emergence from a decade of stagnation was a cause for optimism. He said Singapore must take advantage of regional opportunities by pushing research and development, making it more than just an efficient production center for multinational companies. "We are not resting on our laurels," Lee said. Singapore hosts 7,000 multinational companies largely from the United States, Europe and Japan, and 4,000 enterprises from China, India, Australia and New Zealand. The city-state is consolidating areas of strength, including electronics, petrochemicals, precision engineering, biomedical sciences, and environmental and water technologies, and developing new growth areas such as nanotechnology and alternative energy, Lee said. "One threat to Asia's future growth and stability is Islamist terrorism," he said. "The regional governments have arrested many key leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a terrorist group affiliated to al-Qaida. But we cannot be complacent. The JI may be weakened, but they remain a dangerous threat, with fanatical and skilled terrorists still on the loose, in touch with one another and eager to die for their cause." The prime minister said maritime security, particularly in the Straits of Malacca, a key international shipping lane, was a vital concern. "The recent "Eyes-in-the-Sky" initiative by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand to patrol the Malacca Straits jointly using maritime patrol aircraft is one example of what we are doing together to enhance the safety and security of the region," he said. Lee acknowledged that the rise in oil prices and the disruption to global energy supplies caused by Hurricane Katrina in the United States have had a "dampening effect on the region," but said prospects were good. "One main reason for optimism is the rapid emergence of China and India. These are twin engines fueling Asia's growth," he said. "As China continues to open up its economy, it will create more opportunities for the rest of Asia and indeed the world." © 2005 The Associated Press.
Singapore - The proposal to have "eyes in the sky" to patrol the Straits of Malacca is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, according to an Indonesian Navy official. A spokesman from the Singapore's Defence Ministry confirmed that the Republic will, for a start, contribute two Fokker-50 patrols per week. The spokesman said the frequency of the patrols could be reviewed subsequently. The Indonesian Navy official said besides Singapore, the other countries which would each contribute two aircraft include Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Thailand's Premier Thaksin Shinawatra gave his support for the "eyes in the sky" proposal recently during his talks with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The proposal was brought up by Malaysian Defence Minister Najib Tun Razak at the Shangri La Dialogue held in Singapore. More than 50,000 ships, carrying half the world's oil and a third of its commerce, use the Malacca Strait each year. Singapore's Foreign MInister George Yeo had noted during the recent ASEAN meeting in July that the joint war committee of Lloyds had included the Straits of Malacca as a war risk. © 2005 MCN International Pte Ltd.
SINGAPORE is stepping up efforts to expand its maritime manpower base, Tay Lim Heng, chief executive of Maritime and Port Authority revealed today. MPA’s two-pronged initiative includes three or four-year education programmes at polytechnics or universities to establish a pool of 'maritime-ready' graduates and programmes to upgrade skills of existing maritime employees. MPA has linked up with universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde for courses. Singapore’s maritime sector employs about 100,000 people, Tay told the Maritime Manpower Singapore Conference in his keynote address. The international conference, organised by Seafarers Training & Education Advisory Committee (STEAC) and managed by Wavelink Co-operative, is discussing among other issues “widening disparities” between international and local maritime wages. Committee chairman and general secretary of the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union, Thomas Tay emphasised that trained and certified Asian seafarers, who have proved their competency, “deserve the right” to decide their wages for themselves. According to STEAC, 90% of the 13,823 maritime officers working on board Singapore flag ships are Asian deck officers and engineers. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2005.
Twelve Indonesian fishermen arrested for poaching off Mindanao were allegedly being ransomed off by soldiers in exchange for their safe release, a Malaysian newspaper Daily Express reported Tuesday. Military officials denied the reports, but confirmed that soldiers arrested the fishermen on board three Malaysian trawlers off the remote island of Taganak earlier this month. But the Daily Express reported that the Indonesians were allegedly seized by Filipino soldiers near Libaran island off Sabah, and then brought to Taganak island and held for ransom. It identified four of those arrested as Sanado, 40, the skipper, Firman Ancu Rahman, 23, Awhuddin Samsuddin, 21, and Surdirman Sukiman, 26. It also quoted one of the trawlers' owners, David Chia, as saying that their captors were demanding RM90,000 for the release of the boats and its crew. Chia said the soldiers refused to negotiate and insisted that he bring the money to Bongao town in Tawi-Tawi province. "They refused to negotiate and insisted we go to Bongao with the money," he said. Chia said the soldiers originally demanded RM25,000 for each trawler and crew, but they increased the amount to RM90,000 for all three boats and 12 Indonesians crew members after he told them he cannot pay the money. "With the high operation costs, coupled with the decline in marine catch, it is a heavy burden for us to pay the RM90,000 they demanded, and so we decided to lodge a police report with the Sandakan marine police on Sept. 12," he said. He said Sanado phoned him briefly on Sept. 17, 2005, to say that the three trawlers which were anchored off Taganak island sank after strong winds and huge waves pounded the boats. Chia insisted his trawler was inside Malaysian territory when Filipino soldiers intercepted the boat and two other vessels. "Even though there is no visible borderline at sea, we are aware of our territorial rights as we have been operating in the area over the past 30 years. We dare not go beyond the border for fear of pirates and armed bandits operating on the other side of the border," Chia said. He said the Philippine military had been encroaching into Malaysian waters to harass fishermen and in many occasions they were forced to cut off their nets, each costing at least RM3,000, in order to evade arrest. A Filipino marine spokesman Captain Rommel Abrau strongly denied all the accusations and insisted the Indonesian fishermen were arrested for poaching inside Philippine waters. "There were intercepted and arrested inside RP waters and have been charged in court accordingly. We deny all the accusations against our security forces and we are closely working with our Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts in guarding our territorial borders," Abrau said. Filipino soldiers in the past have arrested dozens of Malaysian, Indonesian and Chinese fishermen poaching off Taganak, a favorite fishing ground in the southern Philippines. The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia have signed border patrol agreements in an effort to jointly fight terrorism and curb criminality at sea. The three countries also hold annual joint maritime exercises at the border. © 2002-2005 Sun. Star Publishing, Inc.
Kuala Lumpur - It is an exaggeration to say the Straits of Malacca is infested with pirates. It is, in fact, a safe channel, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said today, refuting reports that it was a "high-risk" area for vessels. Commenting on a recent statement by Lloyds, a London insurance underwriter, that the Straits of Malacca was a war-risk zone, he said: "By and large, the Straits of Malacca is very safe. The littoral nations of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have been working very closely to ensure its safety. "So to say the straits is dangerous and exposed to threats is something exaggerated. We (the three littoral states) will continue to work together to ensure the safety of this major Far East-Europe trade route." According to the Maritime Institute of Malaysia, there were only 17 cases of piracy in the waterway last year. This amounts to only 0.02 per cent of the 63,000 vessels that passed through last year. Most of the piracy cases involved smaller vessels such as tugboats. Chan was speaking to reporters after opening a two-day Asian Freight Forwarders Forum here. "This forum will enable freight forwarders to exchange views and experience with their counterparts from other parts of the world," he said. Chan said it was estimated that Port Klang would handle 5.6 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) this year compared with 5.2 million TEUs last year. On another matter, Chan said the delay in the delivery of the Airbus A380-800 to Malaysia Airlines by the manufacturer was not within MAS’ control. The delivery of the world's biggest aircraft to MAS, scheduled for January 2007, has been delayed by six months. "This is not our problem but that of the manufacturer. Not only is MAS affected; all other airlines which have purchased the aircraft are also affected." Asked if MAS operations would be affected by the delay, Chan said the airline only needed to reschedule some of the routes. "MAS will not face any major problem. It has 17 Boeing 747/400s and 17 Boeing 777s. It has a large fleet." © NST Online.
Kuala Lumpur - The Strait of Melaka is one of the safest straits in the world, according to statistical analysis based on the number of incidences per area and percentage of successes per incident, according to Royal Malaysian Navy First Admiral Ahmad Kamaruzaman Ahmad Badaruddin. Speaking at a seminar on Maritime Terrorism and the Strait of Melaka here Monday, he said the strait was a complex maritime security environment due to its high traffic density of over 300 ships passing through daily. He said security in the strait was a sensitive and complex issue because of the involvement of multiple stakeholders such as politicians, fishermen, non-littoral states, the shipping community and insurance companies. The seminar was opened by Defence Ministry Secretary-General Tan Sri Subhan Jasmon and attended by Chief of Armed Forces Tan Sri Anwar Mohd Nor, maritime experts from Singapore, Australia, the United States, Japan and Indonesia, and police and army officers. Ahmad Kamaruzaman said that besides overlapping claims on the numerous islands there, each stakeholder had different threat perceptions, priorities and expectations and there was a need to balance domestic and foreign policies. On Malaysia's efforts to curb and handle threats of terrorism, he cited initiatives such as a piracy reporting centre, tripartite co-ordinated patrol, the establishment of the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the restructuring of other maritime agencies to support MMEA, and the "Eye in the Sky". Meanwhile, US Embassy First Secretary Brian Phipps said that under the Law of the Sea and other international conventions, the primary responsibility for securing the vital sea lanes fell on Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. The safety, security and environmental protection of the maritime sector was best enhanced through international collaborative partnerships, he said when presenting the American perspective of the role of the non-littoral states in managing the security of the strait. Senior Staff Officer for Operational Strategies of the Indonesian Navy, Col Dr A. Yani Antariksa, said the Indonesian navy applied preventive and repressive strategies when managing security in the strait. Preventive strategies included methods of early detection and performing maritime intelligence operations involving the Sea Security Board while repressive strategies included providing quick, professional and consistent efforts in combating crime at sea. States using the strait should show active involvement in solving security problems by assisting littoral states in burden and information sharing and improving capacity building instead of deploying military forces, he said when speaking on the topic of international maritime security environment in the Strait of Melaka. Meanwhile, Japan's Ocean Policy Research Foundation Executive Director Hiroshi Terashima said Japan has consistently provided financial and technical co-operation to the littoral states since 1969 to develop nautical charts and remove sunken ships, and responding to oil spills, donating buoy tender ships and building and maintaining aids to navigation. Japan, which is a non-littoral but main user state of the strait, has contributed a total of US$145 million (US$1 = RM3.77). It has also taken the lead in regional anti-piracy initiatives, such as the meeting of heads of marine law enforcement authorities in Asia last year. © 2005 BERNAMA.
Kuala Lumpur - Many US exhibitors are expected to take part at the upcoming Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition in Pulau Langkawi from Dec 5 to 11. Members of the US-Malaysia Aerospace Council (UMAC), which is the aerospace and defence industry committee of the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), recently met here to discuss participation plans at the 2005 LIMA. "The biennial LIMA exhibition, which was supported by UMAC members in 2003, will again draw many of these companies (for this year's event)," said AMCHAM Update, a publication of the chamber. AMCHAM Update said UMAC members had made significant contributions to the development of Malaysia's workforce and local manufacturing capabilities. AMCHAM has more than 470 members representing over 330 American, Malaysian and other international companies. More than 600 companies from 28 countries took part in the 2003 LIMA. LIMA, which began in 1991, is now regarded as one of the top aerospace and maritime exhibitions in the world as it attracts top government decision makers, military commanders, corporate leaders and industry professionals. In 2003, LIMA generated RM2.18 billion or US$575 million worth business through various contracts and agreements. © 2005 BERNAMA.
Chiang Mai, Thailand - Thailand has signed a regional agreement on combatting piracy and may take part in joint air patrols over the Malacca Strait, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said. "Thailand supports the initiative on the 'eyes in the skies' and we will consider participation to some extent that we can contribute to security in the region," Thaksin said after talks with Singapore's premier Lee Hsien Loong. The two leaders discussed a range of regional issues during their two-day annual retreat in Thaksin's home town of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon signed the regional cooperation agreement on anti-piracy (ReCAAP) during the retreat, which also included talks with his Singaporean counterpart George Yeo. The "eyes in the skies" aerial patrol initiative has been promoted by Malaysia to counter piracy and terrorism threats in the Malacca Strait, a major international shipping route. The three littoral states of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have already begun coordinated sea patrols of the waterway, but agreed last month to boost surveillance with joint air patrols. "A problem like the Malacca Straits is not just a problem for the countries which are right there on the border," Lee said, adding that poor security causes freight costs to increase. "If there is terrorist incident in the Straits of Malacca, the whole region will be affected," he said. Thailand is not a littoral state of the waterway, but as it is situated on its northern approaches, it could become involved in protecting the area, Lee added. "There may be opportunities for us to work together with Thailand to intensify some activities and patrols so as to have a deterrent effect and a confidence-building effect," he said. The specific details of Thailand's involvement and the level of cooperation with the three nations bordering the strait are still to be hammered out by officials, Kantathi said. "The principle is that we want to help ensure the straits of Malacca is safe, secure, (and) we want to ensure that the situation about piracy is of course dealt with in a comprehensive way," he said. What measures would be appropriate, such as sending troops or naval patrols, and where they would operate, was still to be decided, he added. © 2005 Agence France Presse.
Kota Kinabalu - Sabah's historical treasures recently salvaged from the seabed, some 400 metres off Simpang Mengayau at the Tip of Borneo, are now on display at the Sabah Museum until Sept 27. The treasures were recovered from a sunken Chinese junk that went down more than 800 years ago, believed to be from the Sung Dynasty of 960 to 1127AD. The Chinese vessel was believed to have sunk near the Tip between 878 and 1045 AD, and a group of fishermen stumbled upon the shipwreck and its remains in March 2003. It is believed that the sunken ship hit the sandbank between the Tanjung Simpang Mengayau and Kalampunian Island in stormy weather. It is said that it is the oldest sunken ship ever found in the country and possibly in South East Asia to date. Unsure of the ship wreck's significance, the fishermen informed the Sabah Museum here and the site was studied in August last year jointly by the Sabah Museum, Museum and Antiquity Department in Kuala Lumpur, and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). The second and third phases were carried out from June to August last year with the expert assistance of UMS and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Since the findings became public knowledge many have wondered about the type of treasures found at the site. Hence, in conjunction with the National Day and the Head of State's birthday celebrations, the Sabah Museum decided to organise a special exhibition themed Long Live Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT). Sabah Museum Director, Datuk Joseph Guntavid, said the exhibition from Aug 15 to Sept 27 displays seven per cent of 503 treasures found at the site and other archaeological findings in the State. "This special exhibition will present three displays - the biography of the TYT, Treasure of Simpang Mengayau and archaeological artefacts in Sabah. The history of women's development will also be exhibited for the public's knowledge and exposure. "Among the objectives of the exhibition are to put forward the biography of the Head of State, Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah, who is the symbol of unity, peace, prosperity, peace and harmony in the State. "Also, the purpose of organising the exhibition is to show the public the popularity of Borneo (now Sabah) as the international trade route as early as 500AD, and to display pre-historic times of Sabah dating back to about 30,000 years ago through archaeological findings," he said recently. Among the findings that are being displayed, he said, are plates, bowls, teapots, jars and non-ceramic pieces like bronze gongs, copper pieces, iron cooking utensils and wood fragments of sunken ships. "All the recovered artefacts found at the site of the sunken ship are very invaluable and priceless. "What we see as having high value is its historical intrinsic worth. If the artefacts are valued in monetary terms, they would cost hundreds of thousands of ringgit in the local market and millions of ringgit in international market," he said. Before the Museum was informed about the site, Guntavid said many of the artefacts were already found and stolen by nearby villagers who sold them to collectors for quick gains. He said the display on the 'Treasures of the Tip of Borneo' give an impression that Borneo since ancient times was already an established as a maritime commercial hub as well as explorers' destination. "It was also one of the main locations of Ferdinand Magellan's voyages round the world about 500 years ago. "Also, the exhibits of the artefacts bear witness to the existence of foreign trade links more than a 1,000 years ago especially Chinese traders as early as the 10th Century, " he said. According to him, Borneo was known to Medieval Europe as 'Java the Great' while China called it as 'Poli', 'Poni' or 'Bun Lai'. The discovery of the sunken ship from the Sung Dynasty era is proof of a busy trade route, and now Simpang Mengayau is being promoted to the outside world as a recreation park and a tourist destination, he said. Guntavid said the exhibition materials were very difficult to procure as archaeologists who were involved in the discovery had to dive 40 times to the seabed to search for the artefacts. He said the divers also had a hard time, as they had to fight strong currents and murky waters. "Some 300 pieces of ceramic and metal artefacts including gongs were salvaged during the first phase of the research. However, only about half of these artefacts are in good condition. "During the second and third phases, another 131 pieces of ceramic and a few pieces of wooden objects were also salvaged. These artefacts are kept at the Sabah Museum and some area still undergoing conservation treatment," he said. The other half, Guntavid pointed out, are broken and some have cracks on them. Apart from the treasures, Guntavid said the exhibition is also displaying other archaeological excavation sites in the East Coast of Sabah. Artifacts like pre-historic cultural tools, handmade weapons as well as ancient kitchen utensils made of stones and animal bones and woods like from coffin remains were recovered from these sites. One of the sites was a major prehistoric pottery-making site in South East Asia, located in Bukit Tengkorak off Semporna. "The site was first excavated in 1988 and completed in 2003 with cooperation from the National University of Australia. "Later, in 1994-1995, the Archaeological Centre of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Sabah Museum continued the systematic archaeological research at the Bukit Tengkorak site," he said. Guntavid disclosed that the research, which included about two months of archaeological survey and excavations, revealed that the site was used a major pottery making area in Southeast Asia from 4340 BC to perhaps 50 BC. He pointed out that the findings in the site dated back about 3,500 years and clay for making the pottery was also recovered, believed to have originated from large deposits of clay found at the foot of Bukit Tengkorak. In addition, he added that the result of the research indicated that other activities like stone tool making and daily subsistence activities also took place at the site. "A large amount of food remains like marine molluscs, fish and turtle bones indicated a maritime-based diet. Other dietary items include wild boars, mouse deer, monkey, barking deer, and crabs. "The research also unveiled that there was cultural contact and long distance trade or exchange between the inhabitants of Bukit Tengkorak and other prehistoric communities that lived along the coast of southeastern Sabah, the Sulu Archipelago, Palawan, southern Mindanao, Minasaha, Talaud, Sulawesi and the chain of Islands between Papua New Guinea and Melanesia," he explained. Another archaeological site that is currently on display in the Museum is the Gua Samang Buat in Lahad Datu that dates back to about 30,000 years. He said the cave was surveyed in 1950s but was found to be of less potential. However, he said, collaboration by USM and Sabah Museum showed the site indeed has archaeological potential and, in fact, the site is now the oldest in Sabah. Amongst the archaeological materials recovered from the sites, he said, were ancient log coffins and stone tools. He said the State Museum is expected to do more exploration and excavation work at other identified sites in the State. © Sabah Daily Express.
SHIP owners and managers are blindly entering into a game of ‘Russian roulette’ with authorities because of ineffective or illegal oil-water processing systems, according to one major owner. Speaking today at the Maritime Cyprus conference in Limassol, Robert Ho, president of Fairmont Shipping, warned that deficient waste handling systems, illegal pipes and bypasses are increasingly common place on many recently-bought second hand vessels and in some cases newbuildings. “Most vessels that comply with Marpol have poorly laid out waste handling systems and insufficient holding tanks, forcing in many cases officers and crew to find alternate ways to overcome the problem – some properly, some illegally,” he told delegates. Ho also warned that most Marpol regulated machinery has not evolved sufficiently to contend with the deteriorating quality of fuel that vessels are being subjected to. Describing the situation as 'the industry’s cancer', he suggested that most owners and managers are unlikely to be aware of the problems. Fairmont’s own investigations stem from the significant fines imposed on it by US authorities after an incident in October 2003 where a whistle-blower revealed malpractice on one of the company's vessels. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2005.