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KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia said Friday it would boost security in the busy Malacca Strait with a 24-hour radar system to guard against attacks by terrorists and pirates.
"We want to increase our sensor capabilities especially at night, using radar to conduct surveillance on traffic that goes through the strait," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is also defence minister, was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.
"We want to make sure that in the future, our capabilities in maritime enforcement is on par with international standards, to ensure the safety of the users of the strait."
The 960-kilometre (600 miles) waterway bordered by Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia is used by some 50,000 ships a year carrying a third of world trade and half its oil supplies.
The three nations last year began coordinated patrols in the strait, which is one of the world's top piracy blackspots. Asian and Western security forces fear terrorists could hijack a tanker to use as a floating bomb in a maritime version of the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Najib, who is currently on an official visit to Britain, said a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency would be operational by the end of the year to improve security in the strait.
The government has allocated 286 million ringgit (75 million dollars) to set up the agency which would focus on strengthening enforcement to curb terrorist and pirate attacks, illegal immigration, environmental damage and improve search and rescue operations in the area, he said.
Since late 2003, there had been a steady increase in attacks and kidnappings in the strait and along the coast of Aceh, where a separatist revolt is being waged.
Four mariners were killed in pirate attacks in the strait last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau. - AFP
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