KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Singapore today established a collaboration to strengthen the Submarine Emergency Escape and Rescue (SMER) capabilities between the two countries.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the collaboration would benefit both countries through the sharing of expertise and equipment in the event of a disaster.
"We believe that collaboration with any country, such as Singapore, can help us in the event of a disaster... to get cooperation from other countries, it might take time due to distance factors.
"Based on the Asean spirit and with Singapore being a neighbouring country, it is appropriate for us to have such cooperation," he told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from Singapore's Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing in conjunction with his official visit to Malaysia at Wisma Pertahanan here on Monday (Aug 25).
Elaborating further, Mohamed Khaled said not many Asean countries have submarines besides Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Earlier, Mohamed Khaled and Chan witnessed the signing ceremony of the "Arrangement Between The Government of Malaysia and the Government of The Republic of Singapore for Mutual Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation."
The document was signed by the Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy Tan Sri Dr Zulhelmy Ithnain and the Chief of the Republic of Singapore Navy Rear-Admiral Sean Wat.
Mohamed Khaled said that as neighbouring countries sharing strategic waterways, the cooperation would enable Malaysia and Singapore to act more quickly, systematically and effectively when facing any submarine emergency.
Meanwhile, the Strategic Communications Division, Naval Headquarters, in a statement on Monday, announced that the Navy's Submarine Force Command and RSN have been designated as the main agencies responsible for the supervision and implementation of the initiative while the National Rescue Coordinators from both countries will also be appointed to ensure smooth communication and operational implementation.
"The operational coverage areas have also been identified to include key waters such as the South China Sea, the Singapore Strait, and the Malacca Strait... this will ensure that rescue capabilities can be implemented in important maritime routes for regional security and international trade," according to the statement.
The statement also stated that through this collaboration, both countries are committed to providing rescue assistance for any incidents involving submarines in distress.
Access to a complete SMER system and up-to-date operational framework also strengthens the readiness of the forces to carry out high-risk operations.
According to the statement, the cooperation also involves the exchange of technical data and operational information between the two parties. With the alignment of systems and more uniform procedures, operational coordination can be carried out more quickly and effectively during an actual incident. – Bernama
