Piracy cases in the Malacca Strait have dropped significantly, with only one reported so far this year, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Tuesday.

Efforts made by the littoral states led to the drastic drop of piracy cases in the Strait, including the joint Eye-In-The-Sky aerial surveillance, Muhyiddin said at an international conference on the Malacca Strait here organized by the Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA).

In 2005, 12 cases of such in the Strait were reported, while the number was merely two in 2008, he said.

Muhyiddin reiterated that the littoral states strongly objected to the physical presence of foreign forces patrolling the Strait of Malacca, but adding the transfer of technology and capacity building to enhance safety and security of the strait were welcomed.

Muhyiddin also said that Malaysia was interested in technology-based projects such as the maritime electronic highway that could be used to reduce navigational risks.

Malaysia, as a littoral country, was committed to acquiring best available technologies and practices to manage the straits while maintaining and exercising its sovereignty in accordance with international law, he said.

These technologies included long distance day and night cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite imaging, he added.

Source: Xinhua