Singapore and Malaysia have begun talks on placing guards on commercial ships in an effort to protect the world's busiest sea lane from piracy and terror attacks, Singapore's deputy prime minister said on Friday.
Singapore, a US ally in Iraq and wealthy hub of Western multinational companies surrounded by Muslim-dominated Malaysia and Indonesia, already places armed guards on some flights by flag carrier Singapore Airlines.
"Singapore is located right in the middle of a fragile region, where security threats can rise at any time," Tony Tan told reporters after launching a book on the fight against terror.
Tan, who is also co-ordinating minister for security and defence, said he had discussed the idea of adding "some security presence on ships" during a meeting with Malaysian Defence Minister Najib Razak in late July.
"Talks are going on now and I think that we will see further development in this area," he said.
Singapore has sounded repeated warnings that a plague of sea piracy in the narrow, 805-km (500-mile) long Malacca Strait - through which more than a quarter of world trade and almost all oil imports to Japan and China pass - could lead to a terror attack. The three littoral states - Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia - began co-ordinated sea patrols in July, and Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to look at extending intelligence sharing.
Tan said Singapore saw itself as an "iconic target" after foiling plans by Jemaah Islamiah in 2001 to attack Western targets, including a railway station used by off-duty US Navy personnel and the US and British embassies.
"We are in danger of being complacent," he said.
Thirty-seven suspected Muslim militants have been detained in Singapore since authorities uncovered the plot by Jemaah, a Southeast Asian militant group thought to have close links with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.
Unarmed guards began roaming the rail system from June with authority to check travellers' personal belongings and make arrests without a warrant and Singapore has said it may arm them.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said on Friday Malaysia was open to help in fighting international terrorism.
"It cannot be solved in isolation and by a single country," he said at the official opening of the Malaysia-funded Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism.
BUNKER PRICES RISE: Singapore bunker prices rose on Friday, tracking firm spot fuel oil cargo levels, on healthy demand, traders said.
Dealers said 380-centistoke bunker fuel oil was pegged at $189-$191 a tonne, up $2 from Thursday, while 180-cst prices were pegged at $196-$198, traders said.
Demand was healthy as shipowners returned to the market, aware of supply problems till mid-September. Most enquiries were for delivery September 1 onwards and some suppliers had already stopped offering for September 1-2.
"I already stopped offering from September 3 onwards because it doesn't appear that the ex-wharf suppliers are able to provide cargoes on those two days, given the current situation in the cargo market," a Singapore-based trader said. No deals were heard for enquiries on August 31 or earlier while enquiries after that date drew offers of $188-$189.
A major sold one lot of 380-cst totalling 1,200 tonnes, for September 2 delivery, at $191 a tonne.