Countries Want To Learn How Malaysia Handles Piracy

BAGAN DATOH, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Several countries are interested in emulating the way Malaysia provides security for its trading ships in the Gulf of Aden in Somalia, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

He said that they were impressed that Malaysian security personnel had captured Somali pirates who had tried to hijack a Malaysian tanker in February this year.

Ahmad Zahid said that representatives of the countries had met Chief of Navy Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar to discuss the handling of pirates at the gulf.

Malaysia launched the Ops Fajar (Dawn Operation) in August 2008 to protect Malaysian trading vessels against pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

Ahmad Zahid said that Ops Fajar had saved several billion ringgit of goods from pirates.