KUALA LUMPUR: Enhancing greater security in and around the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas are among the main agendas for Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said this was strongly agreed upon during the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA) Ministerial meeting, involving him and his counterparts from the two other countries.
Hishammuddin was referring to Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto and the Philippines Secretary of National Defence Delfin N. Lorenzana, who met at the biennial Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2022 and National Security Conference Asia (NATSEC) 2022 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) in Dutamas.
"We agreed to expand the TCA beyond its current defence sphere by effectively incorporating a multi-agency approach, which we feel should involve relevant ministries and agencies.
"We will expedite the deployment of a permanent Trilateral Maritime Patrol Liaison Officer (TMP LO) in each country's Maritime Command Centres in Tawau, Tawi-Tawi and Tarakan, to enable effective exchange of information, monitoring and implementation of maritime and air surveillance activities.
"This is to ensure greater emphasis in intelligence for future surveillance operation to increase productivity and accuracy in curtailing crime-terror nexus activities in the region," Hishammuddin said.
He added that the trio also mandated their senior officials to take several of the following actions.
Among them, he said, was to institutionalize the TCA Ministerial meeting to be convened at least annually to enhance strategic engagement and commitment among the three countries.
"We agreed to increase our presence at sea, effectively amplifying the combined show of force to deter security threats in the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas; and explore the potential of land-based exercises that will be spearheaded by the chiefs of Defence Forces of our countries," he said.
He emphasised that the TCA had been, and was, crucial in acting as a deterrent against crime-terror acts in the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas.
"For example, a proof of its success is the zero incident of kidnaping-for-ransom (KFR) reported in the year 2021, which signifies that the TCA is on the right track.
"We renewed our commitment to support the arrangement and looked forward to resuming full activities this year.
"We have shown the world that strong regional security cooperation is the way forward.
"Ensuring the safety and security of our people remains paramount which is even more critical as we enter the post-Covid-19 pandemic era.
"We strongly believe that the success of our Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement will further solidify and strengthen the bonds between our three countries," Hishammuddin said.
On the discussion chaired by him, Hishammuddin said it proceeded smoothly and was conducted in an atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding.
He said the TCA was last convened formally at the ministerial level in 2018.
"The convening of this TCA Ministerial meeting today and the presence of Bapak Prabowo and Secretary Lorenzana is therefore significant, and serves as a testament to the strong commitment of our countries to the safety and security of our waters in the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas.
"The TCA Ministerial Meeting provides an invaluable platform for our countries to take stock of the progress of trilateral relations specifically in defence cooperation and more importantly, to exchange views on the security situation in order to strengthen meaningful cooperation to mitigate the various transboundary threats that continue to plague us," Hishammuddin summed up.
The convening of the TCA Ministerial meeting reflected the long-standing close relations and a strong commitment by the three countries to the Arrangement.
The meeting also commended the enthusiasm and dedication of the three countries' armed forces in working together to keep the littoral states' waters safe, despite the restrictions and limitations in carrying out activities due to the pandemic.