Hisham: S'pore, Thailand invited to observe anti piracy efforts in the Sulu Sea

KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore and Thailand have been invited to observe the joint patrolling and aerial surveillance with neighbouring countries to tackle piracy and kidnapping in the Sulu Sea.
Defense Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (pix) said the proposal was made as part of the effort in sharing information in reducing incidents of piracy in the busy straits.
"Following the government's approach in ensuring safety in the Sulu Sea, I have met the Defence Minister of Singapore Ng Eng Hen in a bilateral meeting earlier," he told reporters when met at the sidelines of the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2016 exhibition and conference here today.
He said joint patrolling with neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Indonesia and Philippines is necessary as kidnappings at sea are on the rise.
On another matter, Hishammuddin pointed out all quarters should accept the explanation given by the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir on the RM2.6 billion political fund.
"I have always been consistent in this issue. I never wanted to get involved in an issue which has been manipulated to suit different agendas," he added.
Last Friday, Al-Jubeir when speaking to reporters after meeting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak on the sidelines of the 13th Session of the Organisation of Islamic Conference Summit in Istanbul, admitted that the donation for Najib indeed came from Riyadh.