CONFIDENTIAL
MDLI
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DIRECTOR OF THE MARITIME ENFORCEMENT COORDINATION CENTRE AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, COMMODORE DATUK HASHIM TUAN MOHAMAD TOLD DENNIS INFORMALLY THAT MALAYSIA WOULD NOT OBJECT TO A CENTRE WHICH OPERATED PURELY AS A DATA COLLECTION POINT (HE THOUGHT, INCIDENTALLY, THAT THE INDONESIANS MIGHT ALSO BE BROUGHT ROUND TO THIS VIEW). BUT OTHERWISE THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION NEEDED NO OUTSIDE HELP, EXCEPT PERHAPS FROM SHIPPING COMPANIES. MALAYSIA CURRENTLY HAD 48 SUSPECTED PIRATES IN DETENTION FOR QUESTIONING BUT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO LET MOST GO BECAUSE SHIPPING COMPANIES WERE RARELY IN THE EVENT PREPARED TO COME FORWARD AND GIVE EVIDENCE.
AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WHETHER THE RPC WILL OPEN HERE AS PLANNED. THE LOCAL IMB REPRESENTATIVE THINKS IT WILL, BUT DECLARES SHE IS NOT UP TO SPEED. THE LONDON-BASED DIRECTOR, ALLEN, IS APPARENTLY IN THE LEAD.
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MORE POSITIVELY, THE NST HAS ALSO RECENTLY REPORTED THAT SUTED JO AND HAS MALAYSIAN COUNTERPART HAVE AGREED TO THE SETTING UP OF A JOINT MARITIME OPERATIONS PLANNING TEAM (MOPT). UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE MALAYSIA-INDONESIA GENERAL BORDER COMMITTEE IT WILL APPARENTLY CO-ORDINATE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES WITH RESPECT TO PIRACY, DRUG SMUGGLING, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, TERRITORIAL VIOLATIONS, SAFETY OF VESSELS AND CREW AND POLLUTION.
COMMENT
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THIS BILATERAL ACTIVITY, MIRRORING THE NEW COOPERATION BETWEEN INDONESIA AND SINGAPORE, SUGGESTS THAT GOVERNMENTS (IN PARTICULAR INDONESIA) ARE SLOWLY ADOPTING A REALISTIC APPROACH. BUT REACTIONS TO THE IMB INITIATIVE DEMONSTRATE THE CONTINUED SENSITIVITIES. DESPITE ITS RELATIVE INEFFECTIVENESS IN THE PAST WE BELIEVE THE IMO IS BEST PLACED TO BUILD ON THE FORMER, AND AVOID THE LATTER. A JAKARTA VENUE FOR ANY SEMINAR WOULD PLACE AN APPROPRIATE FOCUS ON INDONESIA, WITHOUT POINTING THE FINGER TOO OVERTLY.
SLATER
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