The Australian government has announced concrete plans provide training assistance to Malaysia to strengthen its police force and fight transnational crimes including people smuggling and terrorism.

The Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O'Connor today announced Australia's intention to donate further resources to Malaysia to help fight transnational crime, including people smuggling and terrorism.

Minister O'Connor today met with Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish, the Director General of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

"Australia will present the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency with more than $150,000 of portable technology to detect traces of explosives and narcotics in the second half of this year," Mr O'Connor said.

This will include three Sabre 4000 portable explosive and narcotics trace detection machines and training for Malaysian personnel to most effectively use the machines.

"These portable trace detectors will further boost the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency's detection capabilities, particularly when searching vessels," Mr O'Connor said.

"Australian Customs and Border Protection personnel use similar technology and have found it useful in the fight against organised crime, such as drug trafficking, terrorism and people smuggling," he said.

As part of the package, training will also be delivered by specialist Customs and Border Protection officers to ensure that the MMEA is well placed to utilise the technology to its full capacity.

In addition, Customs and Border Protection delivered an Intelligence Fundamentals Course to 25 officers from various Malaysian border management and law enforcement agencies in Malaysia earlier this month. The course was designed to boost the intelligence collection and analysis capabilities of participating agencies.

Customs and Border Protection will also host a visit by the MMEA to Christmas Island in March 2011. The visit forms part of the ongoing information exchange between Australia and Malaysia, to assist efforts against people smugglers and other transnational crime.

In April, Customs and Border Protection and the Australian Federal Police will also host a familiarisation visit by officers from the Royal Malaysian Police and the MMEA.

"The Malaysian officers will observe Australia's border protection, maritime and aerial surveillance work and will have the chance to exchange technical expertise and knowledge about dealing with maritime security risks," Mr O'Connor said.

In October 2010, the MMEA's capacity was boosted with the following contributions from the Australian government:

  • Six inshore patrol and rapid response vessels;
  • Three portable explosive and narcotics trace detection machines;
  • Six video borescope machines;
  • Six night vision devices;
  • A 24 kits containing specialist search equipment, and
  • Ten laptops and analyst notebook licences.

"These extra resources, training and visits are building positive relations between our two countries that can only bring benefits to regional law enforcement and the safety of all our citizens," Mr O'Connor said.

Minister O'Connor is in Malaysia as part of visits to discuss mutual cooperation on transnational crime and border risks.