KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is strengthening maritime surveillance, regional cooperation and defence readiness to ensure the Malacca Strait remains safe and open amid evolving global security challenges.
Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said the strait was strategically important to Malaysia, Asean and international trade.
"The armed forces, through navy and air force, conduct continuous surveillance, patrols and readiness operations to safeguard the vital waterway.
"The navy also conducts continuous operations to protect sea lines of communication, with support from the air force, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and other agencies," he said in response to Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad (BN-Simpang Renggam) in the Dewan Rakyat.
Hasni had asked about Malaysia's strategic preparedness for the possibility of the Malacca Strait becoming a geopolitical flashpoint and experiencing maritime disruptions similar to those in the Strait of Hormuz.
He also asked about coordination among ministries and relevant agencies to safeguard national security, freedom of navigation and the country's strategic interests.
At the regional level, Adly said Malaysia continued to strengthen the Malacca Strait Patrols initiative in collaboration with Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.
The initiative comprises the Malacca Strait Sea Patrol, the Eyes in the Sky aerial surveillance programme and an intelligence exchange group, which aim to improve patrol effectiveness, information sharing and maritime domain awareness.
"These efforts are coordinated through a whole-of-government approach involving the relevant ministries and security agencies, including the Maritime Operations Action Committee, coordinated by the National Security Council and comprising representatives from ministries, the armed forces and relevant enforcement agencies.
"The armed forces also conduct training, exercises and risk assessments to ensure preparedness for potential disruptions," he said.
Adly added that the ministry continuously monitored security developments along strategic maritime routes worldwide, including the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (PN-Tanah Merah), Adly said Malaysia had a solid foundation for safeguarding national security and sovereignty through its Defence White Paper, which anticipates potential challenges at both regional and global levels.
He said the document was reviewed every five years to ensure it remained relevant to the changing security environment, with the latest revision carried out last year.
"One example is cyber defence. Five years ago, when we formulated the Defence White Paper, this area had not received as much attention, particularly in terms of our involvement in this emerging domain.
"We have incorporated this aspect into the revised Defence White Paper," he said.
Adly said Malaysia had also established long-term plans extending to 2050 across its maritime, land and air defence domains, covering military asset procurement and capability development, including the expansion of cyber defence capabilities.
He said the government would continue working to implement these plans to ensure the country's defence capabilities remained robust and its sovereignty protected.
On defence procurement, Adly said the government-to-government procurement approach under the Madani administration, such as the littoral mission ships and FA-50 aircraft, were examples of programmes progressing according to schedule.
"If we continue with this process, I believe that the availability of our defence assets will not be a problem in the future," he said.
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