SHAH ALAM: Japan is to provide rescue boats to Malaysia, Kyodo News reported today. It said that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed Saturday with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim to supply rescue boats to the Southeast Asian nation’s military, with China’s growing maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific in focus.
The provision would be carried out under Tokyo’s new framework for like-minded countries that share fundamental values, called official security assistance or OSA. Malaysia is the third country, after the Philippines and Bangladesh, to engage with Japan on the program, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
Kishida and Anwar reached the agreement during talks in Tokyo on the sidelines of three-day events related to a special summit starting Saturday between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to commemorate 50 years of friendship and cooperation.
The latest assistance offered to Malaysia by Japan, which has a war-renouncing Constitution that prohibits the maintenance of military forces, is worth 400 million yen ($2.8 million). Tokyo will also offer surveillance drones to Kuala Lumpur, the ministry said.
For the full story go here:
According to a Wisma Putra release, at the meeting, both Prime Ministers announced the elevation of Malaysia-Japan bilateral relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through the issuance of a
Joint Statement. It said as comprehensive strategic partners, both countries agreed to further
enhance cooperation in five key areas, namely Peace and Security Cooperation; Continued Engagement at All Levels for Economic Prosperity; Science, Technology, Innovation and Environment; Society, Cultural and People-to-People Exchange; and Regional and Global Cooperation.
For the Peace and Security Cooperation, the joint statement stated that both leaders decided to continue dialogues between the defence authorities of the two countries as well as to further promote training and exchanges between the Self-Defense Forces and the Malaysian Armed Forces.
They also concurred in promoting concrete cooperation under the Agreement concerning the Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology and welcomed the cooperation being implemented on capacity building in the field of Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR).
Both leaders welcomed the signing of the Exchange of Notes for the Official Security Assistance (OSA) grant aid for the benefit of the armed forces of Malaysia. They also confirmed their intention to strengthen further cooperation between the Japan Coast Guard and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
The OSA grant aid is likely where the rescue boats and surveillance drones comes in. Anyhow, it is clear that while Japan is willing to gift other items – patrol ships and radars, it is likely that Malaysia preferred less controversial things like the rescue boats and surveillance drones. If you asked why, clearly you are not paying attention to things. Back in the day we had no problems getting patrol boats from Japan.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (12)
Do you know what type of surveillance drones, Marhalim? MALE or smaller?
Dont know
"it is likely that Malaysia preferred less controversial things"
I admits did not pay attention about this. Can you explain the reason please?
China.
And yet the former DEFMIN has repeatedly expressed that we are so desperate for more ships we even offered to pay for existing ones yet to no avail, but when the opportunity presents itself the leaders of this nation take 0 action, if this is just to appease the "emperor" then I dont know what to say...
Let's just hope they don't delay the selection of the LMS II, atleast let that happen fast
Note the defence minister do not have the powers to approve, he can appeal for the donation of things, but the actual equipment list must come from the services as they will have to operate them. IE lets say, a country wants to donate something to us, the embassy will meet the appropriate people at the ministry and seek their approval. For final approval it will go through Wisma Putra and the greenlight comes from the PM and the Cabinet.
First you need to ask yourself what kind of drones Japan is making right now.
Japan made plenty of cutting edge equipment. surveillance drone isnt one of them. There's a reason why Japan themselves tapped turkish expertise when it comes to drone technology
"Malaysia preferred less controversial things"
Meaning patrol ships like Arau & Pekan are now off the table? Bummer.
But why radar, as it is also a nonconfrontational equipment and which is something we are looking to buy more anyways so donations will help.
Also we can seek more utility vehicles ie medium choppers, Hino & Isuzu(Handalan) trucks.
We let the politicians decide what to buy and make the military work out what to do with the assets, new or gifted. It just shows how damned we are when we allow nincompoop politicians to dictate the military purchase.
New update says that is not a rescue boat but a fast interceptor craft instead
Its basically the same thing, really.
Nice at the same time during japan indonesia summit,the japanese will provide/built a large patrol vessel for BAKAMLA (Indonesia's CG).