JAKARTA: Trilateral military cooperation between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore needs to be strengthened and expanded in line with the close and strategic geographical position shared by the three countries.
Malaysian Armed Forces chief General Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman stated that the matter was raised by Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin during their meeting here on Thursday (April 2).
"Military cooperation between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore must be viewed on a platform that ensures confidence and mutual trust among the three nations, given our close proximity," he told Bernama after paying a courtesy call on Sjafrie.
Malek said that although the three countries are already collaborating through initiatives such as the 'Eyes in the Sky' operations in the Malacca Strait, including information sharing, these efforts can be further strengthened.
"He (Sjafrie) has already spoken with the Singapore Defence Minister, but not yet with the Malaysian Defence Minister, and (they) may get in touch after this," he said.
He added that the matter would be discussed further at the armed forces chief level of the three countries.
Malek arrived in Indonesia on Wednesday (April 1) for his first official visit to Jakarta since being appointed as the Defence Force chief last February.
According to Malek, the visit is not merely an introductory call but also serves to reaffirm that the defence ties between Malaysia and Indonesia are close and strong.
"Overall, our relationship with Indonesia is at an excellent level, whether at the national level involving the leadership of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and President Prabowo, at the Defence Minister level, or at the armed forces level," he said.
He stated that cooperation between the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Indonesian National Armed Forces encompasses various levels, from tactical, operational, and strategic to a more comprehensive stage.
Existing platforms include the General Border Committee meetings chaired by both defence ministers, as well as the high-level committee meetings at the armed forces level.
Malek said that during the meeting, he also conveyed his condolences to Indonesia over the death of three of its soldiers, who were killed while carrying out a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon under a United Nations mandate.
"I conveyed that it is a shared sentiment, as we also have Malbatt in Lebanon and are jointly carrying out a demanding mission amid the current tactical situation there, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon," he said, emphasising that the safety of personnel remains a priority.
Commenting further, he noted that Indonesia's Defence Minister is slated to participate in the General Border Committee meeting hosted by Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur in May.
He said the meeting would serve as an important platform to discuss shared interests, including border area development and defence cooperation.
In addition, an invitation will also be extended to his counterpart in Indonesia during his courtesy visit this afternoon to attend the Defence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur this month, as another avenue to strengthen ties. – Bernama
