LONDON, March 11 (UPI) -- Malaysia will set up a 24-hour radar system in the Malacca Strait to guard against attacks by terrorists and pirates, an official said Friday.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who also serves as minister of defense, said the radar system would increase surveillance on traffic through the strait, especially at night, the official Bernama news agency reported. Najib was speaking during an official visit to Britain.
About 50,000 ships pass through the strait every year, carrying a third of the world's trade and half its oil supplies. The waterway is 600 miles long and bordered by Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, which currently coordinate patrols against pirates and potential terrorist attacks.
Najib said a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency would be in operation by the end of the year to improve security in the strait, guard against illegal immigration and environmental damage, and improve search and rescue operations.
Attacks and kidnappings in the strait have increased since late 2003, with four sailors killed in pirate attacks last year.
