Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines praise ‘zero kidnapping’ anti-piracy naval patrols

“I would like to emphasise that the TCA has been, and is, crucial in acting as a deterrent against crime-terror acts in the Sulu and Sulawesi seas,” he said, speaking during a joint press conference with the Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto and the Philippines’ Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

“Proof of its success is the zero incident of kidnapping-for-ransom reported in the year 2021. We have shown the world that strong regional security cooperation is the way forward.”

According to the Singapore-based Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) there were 10 attacks and six attempted attacks in the Sulu-Celebes Seas in 2016.

At the time, experts described the waters as the world’s fastest growing piracy hotspot and shipowners diverted their vessels elsewhere.

Hishammuddin on Monday said further expansion of the TCA beyond the current defence focus required a multi-agency approach.

The ministers also agreed to meet about the TCA at least once a year and to increase the three countries’ overall presence at sea.

Hishammuddin said the three nations were exploring the potential of land-based exercises too.

Zachary Abuza, a professor of Southeast Asia studies at Washington’s National War College specialising in terrorism, agreed with the ministers’ assessment of the success of the joint TCA patrols.

Abuza noted that the most significant aspect of the latest TCA ministerial meeting was the countries’ realisation that they actually need a single Secretariat or permanent headquarters, rather than the three individual offices they currently have, to coordinate operations.

“It’s very different if you have a single headquarters with representatives from all three countries they’re staffing it (with), so that when something happens in one jurisdiction you can make sure that the information is transmitted back to the relevant headquarters or operating authorities,” he said.

The professor added that he believed “there will be a real hesitancy on the part of Malaysia and Indonesia” to share intelligence with the Philippines because of “endemic corruption” in the archipelagic nation currently governed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The US-based expert also highlighted that all three countries had limited maritime capabilities, so it was not surprising they were looking at an “army solution” to tackle the security situation in the once-troubled waters.

“All three countries have very limited maritime capabilities, and continue to see their greatest security challenges coming from the land. So it’s not surprising that they are still looking at army solutions to navy problems,” he said.