Singapore Hosts 14th Malacca Straits Patrol Joint Coordinating Committee Meeting.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is hosting the 14th Malacca Straits Patrol (MSP) Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting from 15 to 16 Jan 2020, attended by representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Participants from the navies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand at the 14th Malacca Straits Patrol Joint Coordinating Committee meeting (Picture source: MINDEF Singapore)

The meeting is co-chaired by representatives of the four littoral states – Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI)'s Deputy Assistant to TNI Commander-in-Chief Operations, Air First Marshall Jorry Suleman Koloay; Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF)'s Assistant Chief of Staff of Defence Operations and Training of Malaysian Armed Forces, Major-General Hashim bin Aman Shah; RSN's Head of Naval Operations, Rear-Admiral (RADM) Edwin Leong; and the Royal Thai Navy’s Chief of Staff, Third Naval Area Command, RADM Prakob Suksamai.

Member states will discuss the increased incidence of sea robberies in the Singapore Strait, and possible measures to strengthen information-sharing and operational coordination to deter and disrupt such sea robberies within their respective territorial waters in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS).

The RSN's Head of Naval Operations, RADM Edwin Leong reiterated the importance of the MSP. He said, "The Straits of Malacca and Singapore are critical and strategic waterways. It is therefore in everyone's interest to secure the maritime safety of the vessels passing through this busy waterway. Measures to keep the Straits safe range from vessels adopting best practices to littoral states exchanging information and responding quickly to disrupt sea robberies."

Started since 2004, the MSP is a set of practical co-operative measures undertaken by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand to ensure the security of the SOMS. It comprises the Malacca Straits Sea Patrol, the "Eyes-in-the-Sky" Combined Maritime Air Patrols, and the Intelligence Exchange Group. Members hold regular meetings to enhance coordination, review the conduct of operations, as well as to engage in intelligence exchanges and information-sharing to ensure the safety and security of the SOMS.

The meeting will conclude with the signing of the revised Standard Operating Procedures which seeks to strengthen information-sharing linkages and enhance mutual understanding and collaboration between MSP members.