KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Malaysia is strengthening its maritime preparedness through continuous surveillance, information sharing and regional cooperation to ensure the Strait of Melaka remains safe, stable and open to international trade.
Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), through the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), conducted continuous surveillance and patrols to safeguard the strategic shipping lane.
He said Malaysia was also strengthening regional cooperation with littoral states through the Melaka Strait Patrol, involving Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, to enhance the effectiveness of patrols, information sharing and maritime domain awareness.
“The Defence Ministry’s approach is to ensure that preparedness remains at an appropriate level in line with current security developments. Efforts in surveillance, information sharing, regional cooperation and diplomacy will continue to be strengthened to ensure the Strait of Melaka remains safe,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was replying to a question from Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad (BN-Simpang Renggam) on Malaysia’s preparedness for the possibility of the Strait of Melaka becoming a geopolitical flashpoint and experiencing maritime disruptions similar to those in the Strait of Hormuz.
In reply to a supplementary question from Hasni on threats from external powers, Adly said Malaysia used the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) as a platform to share information and views on regional security.
He said political developments in West Asia that had disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz were also being monitored, as conflicts in the region could affect security and defence, as well as the energy sector.
Meanwhile, responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (PN-Tanah Merah) on the ageing defence assets and the importance of maintaining MAF readiness without active involvement in overseas conflicts, Adly said the country’s defence planning was guided by the Defence White Paper, which was reviewed every five years.
He said the review completed last year took into account emerging security challenges, including cyber threats.
“If we look at each of our defence domains, we already have plans extending to 2050. The maritime, land and air domains each have their respective plans,” he said, adding that these covered asset procurement and the development of defence capabilities, including cyber defence.
Adly said the government-to-government (G2G) procurement process adopted by the MADANI Government, including the acquisition of littoral mission ships (LMS) and FA-50 aircraft from South Korea, was progressing according to plan.
