FPDA DEFENCE MINISTERS REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO TACKLE TERRORISM & ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY

The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) remains an integral part of the region's security architecture, and will step up cooperation to tackle terrorist threats against Malaysia and Singapore, as well as enhance the operational value of its exercise. It will also boost its transparency through an enhanced observer programme.

These were the key points of the joint ministerial statement issued by the defence ministers of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK), following the 10th FPDA Defence Ministers' Meeting (FDMM) on 2 Jun.

In the statement, they also affirmed their commitment to the FPDA, ahead of the arrangement's 50th anniversary in 2021.

Speaking to the media at a joint press conference, Dr Ng said: "All countries and the ministers reaffirmed the importance of the FPDA as an integral part of the regional security architecture in this region. They pledged their unwavering commitment to the FPDA.

"We directed our staff and militaries to update the relevance of the FPDA, both in terms of exercises (and) integration of new capabilities, as well as to deal with current security threats in response to the changing security environment, which now includes counter-terrorism and maritime security."

The meeting was attended by Australian Minister for Defence Marise Payne, Malaysian Minister for Defence Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, New Zealand Minister of Defence Mark Mitchell and British High Commissioner to Singapore Scott Wightman.

Held on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, the FDMM is the pinnacle decision-making platform of the FPDA.

To deal with terrorist threats against Malaysia and Singapore, the ministers agreed to share intelligence and implement further measures to strengthen counter-terrorism activities.

Highlighting the recent terror attacks in countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and the UK, Dato' Hishammuddin reaffirmed the FPDA's commitment to tackle the terrorist threat in the region.

"The FPDA is even more important today than ever before," he said. "If we do nothing, and they (terrorists) do get a foothold in this region, it will affect all the nations on this platform."

Ms Payne agreed, reiterating that the FPDA strengthens people-to-people relationships at the military and ministerial levels. "(Our militaries) work together, exercise together, train together where appropriate. And it enables us to be the responsive organisations and nations that we need to be."

Acknowledging the FPDA's vital role in confidence-building in the region, the ministers welcomed initiatives to boost transparency and expressed their support to enhance the observer programme, where non-FPDA countries in the region could observe FPDA exercises.

Noting that observers had been previously invited to be part of various exercises and activities, Ms Payne added: "We see opportunity to develop that further, in terms of...participation (at) the highest levels, military levels and so on."

Said Dato' Hishammuddin: "The threats that we are facing today cannot be resolved by any one individual country, even within the five nations in the FPDA... So having bridges, whether as observers or, maybe in the future, more permanent representation to deal with certain issues, is an imperative."

Following the FDMM, the defence ministers and Mr Wightman also called on Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak via video-teleconference.