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Malacca Straits Patrol: Member States Commemorate 10 Years of Cooperation
21 April 2016
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The Chiefs of Navy of Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, Malaysia's Deputy Chief of Navy, and Singapore's Chief of Defence Force linking arms in a gesture of cooperation at the Malacca Straits Patrol 10th Anniversary Commemorative Events.
The Chiefs of Navy of Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, and Malaysia's Deputy Chief of Navy gathered today at the Changi Command and Control Centre at Changi Naval Base for the Malacca Straits Patrol (MSP) 10th Anniversary Commemorative Events to mark a decade since the signing of the MSP Terms of Reference and Standard Operating Procedures on 21 April 2006. The MSP is a set of cooperative measures comprising the Malacca Straits Sea Patrol, the "Eyes-in-the-Sky" Combined Maritime Air Patrols as well as the Intelligence Exchange Group, that are undertaken by the littoral states to ensure the security of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS).
As part of the Commemorative Events, Indonesia's Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Ade Supandi, Singapore's Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han, Thailand's Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy Admiral Na Areenich, Malaysia's Deputy Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Dato' Anuwi bin Hassan, and the Guest of Honour, Singapore's Chief of Defence Force Major-General (MG) Perry Lim, jointly unveiled the newly minted MSP logo. They also visited the 4th MSP Exercise which was being held at the Republic of Singapore Navy's Information Fusion Centre. The exercise, which incorporated real-time updates from patrol ships and maritime patrol aircraft, sought to reinforce information-sharing linkages between the MSP members, and enhance mutual understanding and collaboration.
The MSP initiative has been successful in improving maritime security in the SOMS. Following its inauguration, the Lloyd's Joint War Risk Committee dropped the classification of the Malacca Strait as a \"war-risk area\" in Aug 2006. In conjunction with the Commemorative Events, the four MSP members engaged in discussions on measures to address sea robbery hotspots at the approaches of the Singapore Strait, how they can strengthen cooperation and coordination, and reaffirmed their commitment towards enhancing the effectiveness of the MSP to address these hotspots.
The Chiefs of Navy of Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, Malaysia's Deputy Chief of Navy, and Singapore's Chief of Defence Force observing the MSP exercise at the Information Fusion Centre.
More Resources
Fact Sheet: The Malacca Straits Patrol
Malacca Straits Patrol Marks 10th Anniversary (opens in new tab)