MALAYSIA, INDONESIA AGREE ON RULES OF ENGAGEMENT AT SEA

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed on the
rules of engagement at sea to prevent clashes between the navies of both
countries, Defence Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

This also covers patrols in disputed area of Ambalat in the Celebes Sea
which both countries have overlapping territorial claims.

"We have agreed on the rules of engagement when carrying out operations to
prevent clashes and to ensure peace is maintained," he told a joint news
conference with his Indonesian counterpart Prof Dr Purnomo Yusgiantoro after
attending the 38th Malaysia-Indonesia General Border Committee meeting here
Thursday.

The meeting was attended by Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan,
Chief of Defence Forces Gen Azizan Ariffin, Immigration Director-General
Abdul Rahman Othman and Army Defence Intelligence Director-General Abd Hadi
Husin.

Among those in the Indonesian delegation were Indonesian Ambassador to
Malaysia Da'i Bachtiar and Indonesian National Armed Forces Commander Gen Djoko
Santoso.

The Ambalat issue received a wide play-up in the Indonesian media in June
last year following accusation that the Malaysian Navy had encroached into the
Ambalat water.

Meanwhile, Purnomo said that although the Ambalat issue was not specifically
discussed in Thursday's meeting because the matter was being handled by the
Foreign Ministry, the subject nevertheless cropped up when the discussion
touched on the issue of rules of engagement.

Meanwhile, Zahid said the meeting also discussed several issues including
the operations of panels under the committee such as the Coordinated Operations
Control Committee, Joint Exercise Committee, Joint Police Operations Committee
and the Socioeconomy Working Group.

He said that both sides also agreed to deploy more personnel at five border
posts in Entikong and Simanggaris in Kalimantan on the Indonesian side and in
Biawak and Lubuk Antu in Sarawak and Seliku in Sabah, on the Malaysian side.

Both sides also agreed to enhance joint exercise initiatives and had
approved the Malaysia-Indonesia Samudera and Angkasa Joint Land Exercise, he
said.

"The bilateral exercise will be held once in four years involving all three
branches of the armed forces, with the inaugural exercise to be held in
Malaysia's southern state of Melaka from March 25 to April 10," he said.

To tackle trans-border crime, police of both countries agreed to carry out
joint operations and to share information in the efforts to combat illegal
activities.

The meeting also welcomed the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency as its
newest member.

The 39th meeting will be hosted by Indonesia in 2012.
-- BERNAMA