 "A container ship enters the Singapore Strait for the Strait of Malacca. Reuters")
Singapore has backed India’s bid to join the Malacca Straits Patrol as the country’s Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The details of India’s plan to vigil the strategically important strait came up during the two leaders’ meeting.
A joint statement released after Wong and PM Modi’s meeting yesterday said that Singapore and India have agreed to deepen defence technology cooperation in “quantum computing, AI, automation and unmanned vessels”.
The two sides will also cooperate to enhance maritime security, submarine rescue in the Indo-Pacific and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. The statement added that “Singapore acknowledges with appreciation India’s interest in the Malacca Straits Patrol”.
P. Kumaran, Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs, stated that India is interested in patrolling the Malacca Strait due to its proximity to the Andaman Sea, adding that discussions are currently underway. The Strait is currently patrolled by Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore.
India, he said, is hopeful “that there will be some kind of coordination to ensure that there is synergy among the current members of the Malacca Straits Patrol and India as a contiguous state, which is next to the Malacca Straits.”
What is the Malacca Strait?
The Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) are vital and strategic corridors in global trade. Nearly half of the world’s annual seaborne trade tonnage and 70 per cent of Asia’s oil imports transit through these waters.
Given their significance, ensuring the security of the straits is beyond the capacity of any one nation. It requires joint efforts and collaboration among the littoral states, user countries, and the broader international community to maintain the safety and security of the SOMS for all legitimate users.
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More ShortsWhat’s the Malacca Strait Patrol?
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The Malacca Straits Patrol (MSP) is a set of coordinated, practical measures implemented by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand to safeguard the security of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS). It includes three key components: the Malacca Straits Sea Patrol (MSSP), the “Eyes-in-the-Sky” (EiS) Combined Maritime Air Patrols, and the Intelligence Exchange Group (IEG).
Member navies hold regular meetings to improve coordination and assess ongoing operations. They also engage in intelligence sharing and real-time information exchange on suspicious activities or incidents, enabling timely and effective responses to maritime threats.