PH, Malaysia hold naval drills amid evolving security threats at sea

Royal Malaysian Navy

The Philippines and Malaysia are holding naval drills this week in a bid to strengthen their interoperability and readiness to respond to maritime emergencies.

The four-day maritime training activity between Philippine Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy, dubbed as Malphi-Laut 2018, kicked off on Monday at Sangley Point naval base in Cavite.

“This is imperative now more than ever for the challenges of the seas cannot be overcome alone but with one another. We must continue defending our seas against evolving security threats such as piracy and terrorism,” said Navy Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Danilo Rodelas.

These efforts of cooperation, he added, must also be demonstrated during calamities, relief operations, and maritime search and rescue efforts.

The exercises, which will be in the form of command post exercise and table top exercise, will focus on counterterrorism, common maritime threats, and other anti-illegal maritime activities, the Navy said in a statement.

Royal Malaysian Navy’s KD Selangor arrived last Sunday – with 87 crewmembers onboard – for the activity. The Philippine Navy has sent 127 of its sailors to participate in the drills.

Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have launched trilateral patrols last year amid security challenges linked to the country’s maritime borders such as terrorism, kidnapping, and transnational crimes. /kga