JOHOR BARU: Joint maritime training programmes between Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia should be enhanced to improve cooperation between the three countries and coordination of operations, says the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
Its Enforcement and Coordination division director Rear Admiral Aminuddin Abdul Rashid said the cooperation between the three countries are important to safeguard their sovereignty.
“We need to conduct capacity building between Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, as these three countries are surrounded by water,” he said, adding that contacts between the three countries should be strengthened with officials from each country calling on each other during emergencies.
“Joint search and rescue operation drills between the three countries, especially in the Strait of Malacca, should be conducted as the waterway is one of busiest seaways connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans used by international vessels,” he added.
He said this in a press conference after the award presentation ceremony between Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) and MMEA at the MMEA Johor headquarters here yesterday.
Aminuddin said close cooperation between the three countries will demonstrate that the agencies involved are capable of protecting the strait and ensuring that ships can move safely.
He said joint training exercise should be carried out at least once a year.
“We need to have the Asean spirit in us so that we can protect not only the Strait of Malacca but also the South China Sea from any foreign influence,” he said.
Bakamla chief Dr Aan Kurnia said that the coast guard agency was thankful for MMEA’s help in securing crude oil worth US$305mil (RM1.3bil) during a joint operation.
He said the incident occurred at 7.30am on July 7 when Bakamla detected suspicious activity involving two vessels near North Natuna sea (located south of Riau).
Bakamla spotted an Iranian-flagged ship conducting a ship-to-ship oil transfer with a Cameroon-flagged vessel without a permit.
The Iranian ship, MT Arman 114, was carrying 272,569 metric tonnes of light crude oil, valued at RM1.3bil.
“The ship then tried to escape and sailed into Malaysian waters; Bakamla then requested help from MMEA,” he said, adding that the vessel was apprehended at 2pm on the same day along with 28 Syrian crew members and three passengers.
Bakamla recently chaired the Asean Coast Guard Forum 2023 in June to strengthen sealine communication between Malaysia and Singapore to protect their maritime communities, he added.
“We have introduced information sharing between the coast guard agencies between the countries involved, and this success is a good example of how good cooperation can lead to great outcomes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Singapore Police Coast Guard (SPCG) Commander SAC Cheang Keng Keong said that although the agency was not involved in the case, it highlighted the importance of cooperation between different agencies between countries.
“Maritime cases are usually transnational in nature, so it is important for the various agencies to work together and deal with issues at sea.
“Hopefully we can work together in the future to enhance the safety of the maritime community in this region,” he said.
