04 September 2007

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

H.E. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International
Maritime Organization,

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

H.E. Dato' Haji Zakaria bin Haji Bahari, Secretary General of the
Ministry of Transport Malaysia,

Distinguished Speakers and Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good morning,

It is my pleasure and honour indeed to be present in this auspicious meeting held by the Three Littoral States of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and the International Maritime Organization, to provide a follow up forum to build the outcome of the Jakarta Meeting and Kuala Lumpur Meeting to further enhance the co-operation among littoral states, user states and other stakeholder. To day Singapore Meeting is the last meeting of its series which started from Jakarta Meeting in 2005 and continued by Kuala Lumpur Meeting in 2006.

Afterward, cooperation in enhancing safety of navigation and environmental protection in the Malacca and Singapore Straits is to be discussed through existing cooperation mechanism of Tripartite Technical Expert Group (TTEG) on Safety of Navigation. Indonesia, together with Malaysia and Singapore are three Littoral States which have the obligation to maintain the maritime safety and security for the shipping passage in the straits, to ensure the ships movements through the straits are safe, and to protect the environmental threats.

As a littoral state which has sovereignty and sovereign rights over the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, Indonesia reiterates its serious commitment in enhancing the safety of navigation, environmental protection and security of the Straits. Indonesia is willing to cooperate with littoral states bordering Malacca and Singapore Straits, as well as cooperate with other states, international organization and international community.

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Nowadays, Indonesia has 58 Aid to Navigations stretched along Malacca and Singapore Straits starting from Nangroe Aceh Darussalam to Riau waters. Apart from the routine maintenance of the Aid to Navigation, Indonesia is starting to establish 5 Vessel Traffic System (VTS) stations in the Malacca and Singapore Straits which located in Tanjung Medang, Tanjung Parit, Hiu Kecil, Batu Ampar Batam and Tanjung Berakit which will be completed in the year of 2009.

The VTS Center will be in Batu Ampar, Batam and VTS Sub-center is located in Dumai. With regard to Marine Electronic Highway (MEH), Indonesia is ready to fully participate in the implementation of MEH project. Presently, Indonesia has already established Project Implementation Unit (PIU) within the Ministry of Transportation and Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) in the Ministry of Environment. The implementation of the MEH project will be started after the conclusion of Hydrographic Survey from IMO.

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To ensure the safety of navigation and environmental protection, the Three Littoral States of Malacca and Singapore Straits have been closely cooperating among others through Tripartite Technical Experts Group (TTEG) on Safety of Navigation and the Revolving Funds Committee (RFC). One of the significant achievements of TTEG on the Safety of Navigation was the adoption in 1977 by the IMO of a vessel routing system in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore proposed by the TTEG to enhance safety of navigation of the straits which consists of Traffic Separation Schemes, Deep Water Routes and Rules for Vessels Navigating through the Straits.

While Revolving Fund Committee (RFC) as a forum for preventing the pollution from ship in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, has gave significant benefit for littoral states in combating oil pollution in the Straits as well provide capacity building and technical exercise.

In the area of Marine Pollution Prevention, I am pleased to inform you that Indonesia through Presidential Decree Number 109 year of 2006 has promulgated National Oil SpHl Contingency Plan (NOSCP). This Plan provides legal background and arrangement for combating oil spill in Indonesia water including Malacca and Singapore Straits.

Indonesia has also developed Roadmap on Sea Transport Safety and Security which comprises of measures to be taken by the Ministry of Transportation of Indonesia to enhance sea transport safety and security. This Roadmap has set up action plan as well as target and its time line for the activities in the areas of regulation, law enforcement, infrastructure, human resources, related institution, state own enterprise restructuring, community participation and tariff setting.

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Through this meeting, the Three Littoral States, in line with the International Provision of UNCLOS 1982, sought assistance from user states, relevant international agencies and the shipping community in the areas of capacity building, training and technology transfer and other related fields. Littoral states have provided six projects to be considered by user states in enhancement safety of navigation and environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. I hope that during this meeting, user states may express their pledge to support 6 projects proposed by the littoral states.

Indonesia has proposed two projects which is project number 5 "Replacement and maintenance of aids to navigation in the Malacca and Singapore Straits" and project number 6 "Replacement of aids to navigation damaged by tsunami incident". Project Number 5 is for the replacement and maintenance of 22 Aid to Navigations in the Malacca and Singapore Straits which have lost, damaged and ceased its economical age. Those 22 Aid to Navigations are important especially in the Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS) Area of Malacca and Singapore Straits to maintain the Straits open and safe for vessels navigating within the Straits.

With regard to Project number 6, the objective of the project is to replace 7 Aids to Navigations in the Eastern coast of Sumatra and Malacca Strait which damaged by Tsunami disaster on 26 December 2004 which comprises of 5 lighthouses and 2 light beacons. The Government of the People's Republic of China has expressed its intention to fund this project with step by step approach.

Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I sincerely hope that outcome of this Singapore Meeting on the Straits of Malacca and Singapore will lay down a more constructive cooperation framework among the littoral states, user states and other related maritime industry's stakeholders. Being the beneficiary of the safe and secure passage in the Straits, I also hope that participants will always keep it in mind that any action to take the issues forward by means of international approach would be based on the consent, support and cooperation of the littoral states concerned. Finally, I wish the Singapore Meeting on the Straits of Malacca and Singapore: Enhancing Safety, Security and Environmental Protection every success.

Thank you