Sulu Sea must not become ‘new Somalia’
in a bilateral meeting with Myanmar Defence Minister on the sidelines of the 10th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Retreat in Vientiane, KUALA LUMPUR: The Sulu Sea should not become the new Somalia, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said.
Speaking at the 10th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Retreat in Vientiane, Laos, he said there was a need to ramp up efforts to prevent the area from turning into a conflict zone.
The Sulu Sea Trilateral Patrol Initiative, which involves joint patrols by Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, was among issues raised during the retreat.
The international collaboration had come about as the Sulu Sea was known for piracy and kidnappings similar to Somalia, where merchant ships feared to use navigation routes off the strife-torn nation.
Hishammuddin and his Indonesian and Philippine counterparts also held the 4th Trilateral Defence Ministerial Meeting on the initiative.
“Discussions focused heavily on operationalising joint exercises, coordinated maritime patrols and joint air patrols that will soon be initiated by the three nations.
“I highlighted Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s meeting with Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak last week and the finalising of the Standard Operating Procedure for ‘Hot Pursuit’ in Philippine waters,” he said yesterday.
Hishammuddin said he raised the issue of the Islamic State as it remained as Asean’s main and most current threat, adding that the efforts in Mosul, Aleppo and Raqa was a “mixed blessing”.
“On one hand, depriving the group of its territory is crucial to damaging its brand, but it increases the likelihood that other regions, including Southeast Asia, may become a new home for recruits or an alternative target for attacks.”
Hishammuddin agreed with Japan Defence Minister Tomomi Inada’s perception that the world was now a different place and threats to security had dramatically changed.
“Threats of terrorism are increasingly decentralised, difficult to track and more difficult to prevent.”
The 10 Asean defence ministers paid a courtesy call on Laos President Bounnhang Vorachith and witnessed a demonstration of the Direct Communication Link, a hotline of sorts.
The proposal was brought up by Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and was subsequently taken up under the framework of the ADMM.
Hishammuddin said he had a bilateral meeting with Myanmar Defence Minister Lieutenant-General Sein Win. The focus of their discussion were Rakhine state’s situation and the Rohingya.