Defence Equipment Sharing, Collective Procurement for ASEAN: Hishammuddin

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed to a Malaysian proposal to share defence equipment and information to confront common threats, Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said.

The minister was quoted as saying by the local media that the Malaysian MoD needed to be “creative” by sharing equipment as well as information with neighbouring countries to help maintain security in the region, especially in the Sulu Sea and the Strait of Malacca.

“We can not only share information, but also our assets to secure our own region. That’s the best way to do it and it’s a win-win for us. This is the message that I have passed on to my Asean colleagues and they are agreeable to it,” he added.

Hishammuddin proposed that ASEAN members purchase new assets as a group. “Companies may give all of us in ASEAN better deals. And ASEAN is one of the most populated regions in the world, with 600 million people,” he added.

Referring to Malaysia’s own defence procurement, Hishamuddin said, “In the present economic climate, Malaysia will have to base its spending needs on the threats it may have to face and whether the purchases are at the expense of more urgent procurement. There’s a limited amount of money for us,” he was quoted as saying.