(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Malaysia Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, clarified that Malaysia will only receive drones and fast interceptor boats for monitoring and surveillance of its maritime borders from Japan under the Official Security Assistance (OSA) program.
Newly appointed to the position after a year as the Defence Minister, he emphasized that the equipment contribution from Japan is unrelated to strengthening the national defence against any threats.
“Our maritime borders are vast, and we cannot establish guard posts on every island. Therefore, we are exploring existing technology and have found drones to be effective. Fast interceptor boats are also necessary for pursuing intruders during rescue operations,” he said, as quoted by the national news agency, Bernama, in Japan today.
He made these remarks while attending a joint program with the Malaysian diaspora in the capital of Japan, Tokyo.
Mohamad commented on news reports that the assistance under the OSA is intended to enhance maritime security in Malaysia, given that Asian countries are working to counter threats to their waters.
He explained that the request for OSA assistance from the Japanese government was submitted during his tenure as the Minister of Defence, with a focus on monitoring the extensive maritime borders, especially the east coast of Sabah.
During a meeting two days ago, the Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, witnessed the signing ceremony of the memorandum of cooperation between Malaysia and Japan, namely the Exchange of Notes of the Official Security Assistance (OSA) Grant Aid between the Ministry of Defence Malaysia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan.
Mohamad signed the OSA grant note on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
Before the signing and exchange of notes, it was announced that Japan would provide monitoring and surveillance equipment to Malaysia.
Additionally, the exchange of the Memorandum of Cooperation on Space Development and Application between the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) took place.
During Kishida’s visit to Malaysia last November, the Japanese Prime Minister expressed concerns about attempts to alter the status quo through violence in the East and South China Seas and affirmed close cooperation with Malaysia on this matter. — DSA
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