KYODO NEWS



 

Malaysia's military has received some surveillance drones from Japan as part of its security assistance, in a bid to boost the Southeast Asian nation's maritime border surveillance, officials of the two countries said Monday.

Under a framework called Official Security Assistance, which Japan launched in 2023 to provide defense equipment to like-minded countries, several of the 14 Japan-made drones to be given to Malaysia have already arrived in the country, with the military planning to deploy them to areas facing the South China Sea.

Malaysia, one of the first four recipient countries Japan designated under the framework, is flanked by the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea.

Like Vietnam and the Philippines, it has disputes with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea where Beijing has conducted aggressive behavior.

Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata said during the ceremony at the Malaysian Defense Ministry that it is indispensable for Japan to foster "a peaceful, stable and highly predictable international environment based on the rule of law, through such measures as enhancing the security and deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries."

Malaysian Defense Minister Khaled Nordin said his country and other Southeast Asian nations have faced "challenges" in the South China Sea, adding "With increased capability, the region will remain peaceful and safe, able to tackle the challenges."

The assistance package worth 400 million yen ($2.7 million) also includes several rescue boats, and was agreed in December 2023 by then Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim when he visited Tokyo.