04 September 2007

H.E. Prof. S. Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for
National Security and Minister for Law, Singapore

H.E. Mr. Raymond Lim Siang Keat, Minister for Transport & Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore

H.E. Mr. Jusman Syafii Djal11al, Minister of Transportation, Indonesia

H.E. Mr. Efthimios Mitropolous, Secretary General of the International
Maritime Organization

Excellencies, Distinguished Heads of Delegation, Fellow Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabaraktuh and a very good morning.

Firstly allow me to convey the apology of the Minister of Transport Malaysia, Dato' Sri Chan Kong Choy, for not being able to attend this auspicious meeting this morning. He has asked me to send his best wishes to all participants and hope that the Singapore Meeting will be a great success. He has also asked me to deliver this opening address on his behalf.

His Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

1. On behalf of the Malaysian delegation, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our host, the Government of Republic of Singapore for their warm welcome and kind hospitality extended to my delegation since we arrived here in Singapore. I would also like to express my gratitude to the host for inviting me to be part of this very important international meeting on the Straits of Malacca and Singapore on enhancing safety, security and environmental protection; and giving me the opportunity to address this auspicious meeting and among such eminent people.

2. This meeting is the third and possibly the last in the series of meetings on the Straits of Malacca and Singapore that is organized by the International Maritime Organization (or IMO) in cooperation with the littoral States. I am pleased that since the first meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2005 followed by the second meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2006 and now in Singapore, there has been significant progress made in achieving the original objectives. I am also most gratified that the three littoral States have been able to cooperate in the most efficient manner with IMO in organizing this series of meetings for the third time running. I am certain that such cooperation can be sustained in the future to ensure that the Straits are safe, secure and the marine environment well protected.

His Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

3. Let me take this opportunity to reassure all of you that Malaysia always believe that the Straits of Malacca and Singapore should remain safe and open for navigation. Events in the past decades have amply demonstrated that Malaysia has never obstructed transit passage in the Straits, although at the same time we have to explain how important the Straits are to Malaysia as they surely are for the many users. We have no doubt that the Straits are indeed a strategically important shipping route between the East and West. We realize how many of the world's economies are dependent on the continued ability for ships to use the Straits.

4. It is this profound understanding of the many important uses of the
Straits that Malaysia has for so many years been committed to ensure that the Straits are well maintained to provide a safe passage to ships. Suffice to state at this point that the Government of Malaysia has spent large sums of money to provide the necessary aids to navigation for the safe passage of ships through the Straits. Malaysia has demonstrated that it has always been willing to cooperate with responsible user States and other users in maintaining safety, security and environmental protection of the Straits. Nevertheless, we believe that the time is now appropriate that users of the Straits play a bigger role in cooperating with the littoral States to share the burden of maintaining the safety and protecting the marine environment of the Straits.

5. It is for this reason that Malaysia has been an active promoter of the Cooperative Mechanism that was first presented by the three littoral States at the Kuala Lumpur Meeting in 2006 last September. The Cooperative Mechanism provides a useful platform for the littoral States to forge close cooperation with users with the common aim of enhancing safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment in the Straits. I understand that the details of the Cooperative Mechanism will be presented during this meeting. It is my fervent hope that the Cooperative Mechanism is supported by all. I personally believe that the Cooperative Mechanism will provide a very good way forward in forging cooperation between the littoral States and the many users of the Straits along the lines provided under international law and in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

6. I take this opportunity to commend and express Malaysia's appreciation for those States that have contributed towards maintaining safety of 'navigation' in the Straits, and to those States that have provided sponsorship and expertise to projects proposed by the three littoral States. I hope that such strong support and cooperation will continue within the Cooperative Mechanism.

His Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

7. I am sure the officials of the three littoral States: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore together with the IMO have worked very hard over the last few months since the Kuala Lumpur Meeting of September 2006, for which I must thank and congratulate them for making this meeting a success. It is this spirit of cooperation that I trust will enable all of us to move forward and ensure that this important waterway that links many economies and populations of the world will remain safe and open to shipping and at the same time continue to provide for the lifeline of many in the littoral States.

His Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

8. Let me to take this opportunity to once again express my appreciation to the host, the Government of Singapore.

9. I must also thank the Secretary General of IMO and all his officers for the tireless support, encouragement and valuable advice that they have provided us. I for one look forward to the continued support of IMO in cooperating with the three littoral States.

10. Last but not least I must also thank all of you who are present here today for continuing to support the efforts of the three littoral States.

11. On that note, I wish all of you to have a good and fruitful meeting.

Thank you.