KUALA LUMPUR: I refer the story below from Bernama. It seems that we are still unsure about having Uncle Sam patrolling the straits that we need to call on Korea and Japan to get involved. This of course begs the question why we are not getting the Chinese to help out.
Anyways does that mean that we remained incapable of protecting our borders or these is just diplomacy to the extreme? I sincerely hope this does not mean a rash of donations of old patrol boats from Japan and Korea. We have enough of their old fire engines in our backyard already….
From Bernama
Malaysia Wants Japan & Korea To Ensure Safety Of Straits Of Melaka
SINGAPORE, July 24 (Bernama) — Malaysia has called on Asean dialogue partners Korea and Japan to play a constructive role in ensuring that the Straits of Melaka as a safe international passage.
In making the call during the Asean and its partners meeting of the 41st Asean Ministerial Meeting here today, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim expressed the need for the two countries to continuously play a role in a safe and congenial atmosphere for the straits.
The roles that Korea and Japan could play are many, and it included the upkeep of the safety elements of the Straits of Melaka and the early tsunami warning system, he told reporters after the ministerial meeting and other side meetings here Wednesday.
“These are some of the matters we put forward to both Korea and Japan so that they can play their role because they are technologically well-advanced,” he said.
— BERNAMA
–Malaysian Defence
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Why not use the FPDA or the MAJDP ?
http://www.malaysia.embassy.gov.au/klpr/Defence.html
Korea are more interested in their northern neighbor, while Japan can only send their coast guard as the people of Japan and some of their neighbors might not be too comfortable with the idea of the Japanese Navy. Beside, it will require special laws to be passed for Japan to patrol the Straits of Melaka as it might be against the Japanese Constitution.
Beside, it does not mean that Korea and Japan will send state of the art equipment as they might be need somewhere else. North Korea is technically still at war with South and they have fired missiles over Japan. The other issue that might not be considered is how compatible is the communication between Japanese Navy, Korea Navy and our equipment.
Beside, RMN should be more than capable of patrolling the Straits of Melaka with their current assets against pirates.
Marhalim: I wanted to mention the Aussies too but we also have issues with them. Furthermore they dont have the money while the Kiwis lack the capability while the UK also lacked the funds to do it. The Americans will jump for it of course, but at the present our policies will not allow Uncle Sam.
The Korean, I believe, will be very happy to be involved, if not for their own backyard problem. They will be happy still if we negotiate their involvement with the purchase of the MPSS, that the RMN and MINDEF really wants. Perhaps that is the main reason the good minister raised the issue….