Batam – Chief of Staff to the President Moeldoko has urged Ministries and Institutions to create a seamless coordination in defending the maritime space and in maintaining the territorial integrity of the Republic of Indonesia.
Responding to several claims against Indonesian territory by several outside parties as well as external threats to the territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia, the Executive Office of the President (KSP) held a coordination meeting in Batam, Riau Province, Friday (24/6) with several related Ministries/Institutions.
“When we talk about state sovereignty, this will definitely ignite high emotions. We must manage this constellation. On one hand, we have to manage the emotions of the Indonesian people, on the other hand we have to prevent any disturbances to Indonesian sovereignty,” said Moeldoko.
The coordination meeting chaired by the Office was attended by representatives from the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the Maritime and Security Agency (Bakamla), the National Border Management Agency and the Joint Regional Defense Command I.
It was expected that the outcome of the meeting would set an understanding towards the complexity of the border threats, particularly threats in the outermost sea areas of Indonesia.
Overseeing national strategic issues, KSP would work to assist ministries and national agencies in guarding state boundaries and Indonesian sovereignty, said Moeldoko.
In particular, KSP has pushed for the seamless collaboration and integration of maritime space security in the Malacca Strait and North Natuna Sea as stipulated under Government Regulation No. 13/2022 on Security, Safety and Law Enforcement in Indonesian Waters and Indonesian Jurisdiction.
“So don’t ever think you are working alone. There are at least 18 Ministries/Institutions that work in managing national borders, this is not an easy task. Thus, KSP will continue to find bottlenecks from this difficult situation,” added Moeldoko.
The security in the territorial waters is still deemed ineffective as it is being carried out partially. In addition, the implementation of joint operations and patrols are based on sectoral issues within a temporary timeline.
Meanwhile, strengthening maritime security in Natuna waters is one of the 41 major development projects with a state revenue and expenditure budget allocation of Rp 12.2 trillion. President Joko Widodo has also given serious attention to the issue of securing border waters, by prioritizing the welfare of the people in the border, outermost and foremost islands.
