June 8th 2004
SINGAPORE: Malaysia's stand on no foreign presence in the Straits of Malacca received a boost when members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) voiced their understanding of the Government's position on the issue.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the matter was raised when he met the Defence Ministers of Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore during an FPDA informal meeting yesterday and explained the country's stand.
“The (FPDA) members are in full agreement and understand that they have to accept the sensitivity of Malaysia (on the issue).
Najib, in his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue plenary session on Sunday, reinforced the stand by saying that a foreign presence in South-East Asia to deal with terrorist threats should be avoided as it would be a setback in the region's ideological battle against extremism and militancy.
The Deputy Prime Minister said while Malaysia agreed that close co-operation from FPDA was important in tackling non-conventional threats in the Straits of Malacca, it should not violate the littoral countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Malaysia has placed strong emphasis on the issue and any war against terror should be a domestic affair of the country concerned,” he added.
“There will be no foreign presence in the Straits of Malacca or anywhere in Malaysian waters except during (military) exercises. This is something we have been doing for a long time and is not an issue,” he told Malaysian media after attending the informal meeting.
Singapore Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean, New Zealand Defence Minister Mark Burton, Australia Defence Minister Robert Hill and British Minister of State for the Armed Forces Adam Ingram also attended the meeting.
Malaysia had, on several occasions, voiced its stand against having foreign military presence to help safeguard the strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
The stand came following suggestions that the United States should be roped in to help safeguard the busy waterway from piracy and possible terrorist attacks.
Najib also said that FPDA members had agreed to realign the grouping to make it more relevant in facing today's challenges, especially in tackling non-conventional threats.
He said it was crucial for FPDA to make changes as the scenario had changed since its conception when the focus was on co-operation and military exercises.
“Today, we are facing issues such as maritime security, terrorism, smuggling, transnational crime and piracy. The grouping must realign itself so that we are better prepared to face eventualities, he said.
Najib, who is also Defence Minister, said FPDA members had agreed that forms of co-operation within the grouping and among members would be enhanced to encompass technical expertise, the sharing of information and intelligence, constant communication and co-ordination.
He said that Malaysia and Singapore were one step ahead in this matter as both countries had formed close working relations, including co-ordinated patrols, and sharing of information and communications.
Meanwhile, in a joint press statement, FPDA said it had agreed to incorporate non-conventional threat scenarios such as maritime security serials in its scheduled exercises and conduct exercises focused on maritime security.
The grouping said it had also agreed that its Integrated Area Defence System based in Butterworth, Penang, would develop a road map to implement these initiatives.
