The maiden flight of the Malaysian Hercules C130 military plane under the Eye in the Sky (EiS) programme marks another significant co-operative regional move by the three littoral states to secure the Straits of Malacca against pirates and threats from terrorists. As Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said, the EiS issues "a clear signal to the international community that we are serious about ensuring safety and security in the straits". The three months that it took for the idea to take off from the time it was first floated by Najib at the Singapore Shangri-la Dialogue demonstrates that the littoral countries are prepared to act with speed and decisiveness. The maritime air monitoring agreement complements earlier arrangements for co-ordinated naval patrols. Together with plans to install ship-tracking equipment at strategic locations along the waterway, the EiS is evidence of the willingness of the littoral nations to come up with pragmatic solutions.
The maiden flight of the Malaysian Hercules C130 military plane under the Eye in the Sky (EiS) programme marks another significant co-operative regional move by the three littoral states to secure the Straits of Malacca against pirates and threats from terrorists. As Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said, the EiS issues "a clear signal to the international community that we are serious about ensuring safety and security in the straits". The three months that it took for the idea to take off from the time it was first floated by Najib at the Singapore Shangri-la Dialogue demonstrates that the littoral countries are prepared to act with speed and decisiveness. The maritime air monitoring agreement complements earlier arrangements for co-ordinated naval patrols. Together with plans to install ship-tracking equipment at strategic locations along the waterway, the EiS is evidence of the willingness of the littoral nations to come up with pragmatic solutions.
No doubt, what is still to be put to the test is the adequacy of the response of the Monitoring and Action Agency which has been set up in each country to establish a listening watch. The ability to respond with the appropriate search operations - such as intercepting a suspicious
vessel and detaining the people on board for further investigations - after receiving information relayed by the surveillance aircraft will determine the success of EiS. The ability to act smoothly and swiftly when the EiS sounds the alarm would provide a fitting rejoinder to those who seem to enjoy making waves by classifying the straits as a war-risk zone, even when the claim does not seem to hold water.
The decision of Thailand to consider joining the EiS is a welcome boost to the programme. It demonstrates that while the littoral states may have taken to the sky to keep an eye on the high seas, they have kept their feet very much on the ground. The inclusion of a non-littoral state in the task of keeping watch over the straits is a recognition of the imperative to work together within a regional framework. It is also in step with the view that while the primary responsibility of security in the straits lies with the littoral countries, the concerns and interests
of the larger regional and international community cannot be waved aside.
The invitation to user states to take part in the EiS and do their bit in protecting this strategic shipping lane is consistent with this standpoint. However, as Najib reiterated, this should not be at the expense of national sovereignty. Nor should it be in the form of unilateral actions which do not take regional sensibilities into account. Since the littoral states have taken purposeful measures to come to grips with the issue of security, it is incumbent on user states, as well as international agencies and the shipping industry, to provide much-needed support in terms of capacity-building and the exchange of intelligence.
