"This is the reason why ASEAN cooperation is important. Through cooperation, patrols could be conducted jointly in border areas including the Strait of Malacca and others," he stated after attending an event to commemorate the ASEAN anniversary here on Monday.
Cooperation in the form of joint security operations between the ASEAN members has indeed been in existence, but Kalla emphasized the need to further step up the efforts.
"We will increase border security cooperation to prevent piracy. Joint patrolling is the most effective way to prevent piracy and is important to deal with situations such as the recent case of pirates trespassing into Indonesian waters but later fleeing to Thailand," he noted.
Kalla made the statement in response to a question posed regarding a recent case of piracy of a Singaporean-flagged ship in the Indonesian waters.
On Saturday, Singaporean-flagged ship MT Joaquim was hijacked in the waters north of the Indonesian island of Rupat in the district of Bengkalis, Riau province.
Chief of the Navy Base in Dumai Col Avianto Rosmirawean remarked that the incident occurred when MT Joaquim, with eight crew members on board, was sailing from OPL Timur, Sabah, Malaysia, to Langkawai.
A total of 19 pirates jumped aboard MT Joaquim that was carrying 2.9 thousand tons of light crude oil. One of the pirates then ordered the captain to move the ship to a certain location while establishing radio contact with a boat to approach, and soon, a tanker was waiting beside MT Joaquim.
Avianto is of the view that their motive was to move the oil cargo into the tanker.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
