ID :
360502
Tue, 03/17/2015 - 12:54
Auther :

Terrorism, Militant Threats Causes For Naval Forces To Unite - Minister

LANGKAWI, March 17 (Bernama) -- Threats posed by terrorists and militants should be dealt with, through the unified efforts of all navies, said Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. He said naval forces from different countries need not wait for disasters or tragedies to happen before deciding to join forces. "It is important for us to build bridges, to engage and pre-empt because terrorism and militants out there are enemies of all navies," he said in his keynote address at a Chief of Navy's Roundtable Talk held at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre here Tuesday. The roundtable talk themed, 'Enhancing the Roles for ASEAN Navies and Partners in Maritime Security' was held in conjunction with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2015 (LIMA'15). Hishammuddin said he chose to emphasise on the importance of combatting terrorism and radicalism as these were seen as new threats developing in the 21st century. "(I wish to emphasise on) the importance of good men to stand up to what is right. Because if you don't, you will allow evil to spread and if that happens, we only have ourselves to blame," he noted. The defence minister said the episodes of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 aircraft and the AirAsia QZ8501 aircraft which crashed last year provided various lessons, particularly in meeting the challenges posed by the vast and deep ocean which required regional and international efforts to work as a team. "I believe there is a need for regional and international collaboration to establish a coordination centre to facilitate a timely and effective response to maritime and aviation-related incidents, as well as other disasters in the region," he added. Some 300 participants comprising admirals and their representatives from ASEAN countries and several of their dialogue partners took part in the roundtable talk. -- BERNAMA

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