Kuala Lumpur, Sep 22 Malaysia on Monday received 14 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and seven rescue boats as part of Japan's Official Security Assistance (OSA) initiative to boost the Southeast Asian nation's maritime border surveillance.
The OSA was launched by Tokyo in 2023 to provide defence equipment to like-minded countries.
"Malaysia, one of the first four recipient countries Japan designated under the framework, is flanked by the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. Like Vietnam and the Philippines, it has disputes with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea where Beijing has conducted aggressive behavior," Japan's leading Kyodo News Agency reported.
The Malaysian military, it said, is planning to deploy them to areas facing the South China Sea.
The Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Noriyuki Shikata said during the ceremony held at the Malaysian Defence Ministry that it is indispensable for Japan to foster "a peaceful, stable and highly predictable international environment based on the rule of law, through such measures as enhancing the security and deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries."
Meanwhile, the media in Kuala Lumpur reported on Monday that Malaysia needs to increase national defence preparedness by implementing a 'Whole-of-Government, Whole-of-Society' (WOGOS) approach to face increasingly complex security threats, including in the South China Sea.
"Although we can currently see that the country is still safe, secure and peaceful, we should be aware that threats still exist, whether in traditional or non-traditional forms. Just look at the South China Sea, although it seems peaceful and tranquil, no one can guarantee that this peace will last," leading Malay language daily newspaper Berita Harian quoted Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin as saying.
Nordin said his country and other Southeast Asian nations have faced "challenges" in the South China Sea, adding "With increased capability, the region will remain peaceful and safe, able to tackle the challenges."
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