Australian Maritime Issues 2007 - Royal Australian Navy

A Malaysian Perspective on International
Maritime Counter-terrorist Cooperation
in South East Asia
First Admiral Dr H.J. Sutarji bin Kasmin, RMN (Rtd)
The Malacca Strait, better known in Malay as Selat Melaka, has been the most important
sea lane linking the South East Asian economies with the rest of the world for centuries.
In socio-economic and geopolitical terms, it is important not only to the littoral states
of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore but also to the international community.
In socio-economic terms a large number of Malaysians have employment in the
strait: 80 per cent of Malaysian trade passes through it; and 70 per cent of Malaysian
fishermen are concentrated along the strait, annually reaping more than 380,000 tonnes
of fish valued at US$320 million. Malaysia’s main container ports, marine resorts and
tourist spots are also located along the strait. In addition, there are independent power
generating plants in the vicinity of the strait that are dependent on its water.
In the last few decades, shipping transiting the strait has faced persistent security
challenges of both a traditional and non-traditional nature. These include unlawful
intrusions into the territorial waters and the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the
littoral states; illegal exploitation of both living and non-living marine resources;
navigation hazards; and illegal activities such as illegal immigration, smuggling and
robbery. Since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States (US),
Malacca Strait security issues have been at the forefront of maritime issues, not only
in Malaysia but throughout South East Asia.
This paper will discuss the potential threats of maritime terrorism in the strait,
Malaysia’s role in strait security, Malaysia’s capabilities to protect the strait and the
cooperative approaches Malaysia has adopted together with the US, Japan and Australia
against international terrorism.
Possible Threat of Maritime Terrorism in the Malacca Strait
The Malacca Strait is a narrow, 500-mile long strip of water running between Indonesia,
Malaysia and Singapore, where the southern portion of the strait is extremely narrow
and dotted with shallow patches. It is a crucial transport route for more than 62,000
ships a year, carrying about one quarter of the world’s overall demand for oil – about
11 million barrels daily from the Middle East to East Asian countries. 1 Any serious
disruption to the flow of maritime traffic through the strait would clearly have