Malaysia to launch joint air patrols to curb Daesh threats – Hishammuddin

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KUANTAN: Malaysia will soon launch joint air patrols with Indonesia and the Philippines to curb the increasing threats by the Daesh militant group in the region, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

He said the cooperation would take place right after the joint sea patrols in the Mindanao waters was launched on June 19.

“The ASEAN-level Defence Ministries are committed in dealing with the threats. For that, we will launch the joint air patrols in Malaysian airspace after launching the joint sea patrols.

“This joint plan is proven a success when Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia were dealing with the piracy threat and other crimes in the Straits of Melaka at one point,” he said.

Hishammuddin told this to reporters after a breaking-of-fast event with 145 officers and crew members of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s KD Lekiu on board the ship in the South China Sea approximately 10 nautical miles off the Tanjung Gelang Naval Base here Tuesday.

Also present were Malaysian Armed Forces chief Gen Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor and Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin.

Earlier, the defence minister spent time mingling with the crew members and handed over donation packs to the fishermen of a boat for breaking of fast, in the waters.

Hishammuddin then joined the crew members of the navy vessel in performing the Maghrib prayers before attending a ‘moreh’ (supper) session with 400 members of Marine Region 1 headquarters at the naval base. – Bernama