EXBS: SE ASIA REGIONAL ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 001398 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, KCROUCH, ROWEN DEPT FOR ISN/ECC/AMT LSPRINGER DEPT FOR EAP/RSP WCOMLEY, NDEAN, TFORSYTH, AFORSBERG CBP/INA FOR RWATT USDOE/NNSA FOR TPERRY DOC FOR PETERSEN-BEARD JAKARTA FOR MYAJNIK MANILA FOR GCOFFIN SINGAPORE FOR MCLAUSEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP MY SUBJECT: EXBS: SE ASIA REGIONAL ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE JULY AND AUGUST 2007 ¶I. SUMMARY The Department of Energy conducted Commodities Identification Training (CIT) in Malaysia and CIT Instructor Training in Singapore. The Advisor met with senior Royal Malaysian Customs officials to discuss upcoming enforcement training, participated in discussions with Republic of the Philippines (RP) officials regarding their efforts to establish an export control program, and met with Government of Australia officials to discuss ongoing efforts. The Advisor accompanied a group from Malaysia that attended International Seaport Interdiction Training (ISIT) in the US and had two days of consultations in Washington, DC. END SUMMARY II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD ¶A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS DURING REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. On July 10 the Advisor met with Dato' Haji Ibrahim bin Haji Jaapar, Deputy Director General (Operations) Royal Malaysian Customs (RMC) to discuss the upcoming ISIT course with Malaysia, scheduled for August 09-17 in Charleston, SC. Mr. Tan Kwong Gin, Director of Customs (Enforcement),and Puan Soria binti Osman, Senior Assistant Director of Customs (Import/Export Division) also attended the meeting. Dato' Ibrahim, the second-highest ranking Customs official in the RMC, expressed his support for and appreciation of the ongoing training collaboration between the RMC and the various USG agencies working under the EXBS program. ¶2. The Advisor was in Manila, RP from July 16-19, representing Embassy KL at the regional 1206 funding conference and meeting with Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and Embassy Manila officials on export controls. The Advisor met with Ambassador Florencio Fianza, Special Envoy on Transnational Crime, officials from his office (OSETC),Ms. Leah Ruiz from the Department of Foreign Affairs, and Embassy Manila ECON Counselor to discuss the Proliferation Awareness Training scheduled for September 25-26. Ambassador Fianza's office has stepped forward to lead GRP efforts to establish a system of export controls, coordinating with the various GRP agencies to draft an Executive Order on the proposed program that will go to President Arroyo. Ambassador Fianza personally and his office in general display a high level of enthusiasm for the developing of comprehensive legislation and the implementation of an effective export control program to prevent proliferation. ¶3. On July 24 the Advisor met with Katie Mead and Marc Napier, representing the Australian High Commission based in Kuala Lumpur, to discuss ongoing coordination between our two governments related to export controls. Ms. Mead mentioned that the Australian Customs Service (ACS) was planning to continue their efforts to provide equipment and training to RMC personnel in Sabah and Sarawak, two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. The ACS assistance efforts ran into a problem a few months ago due to a coordination issue between the local Sabah and Sarawak officials and RMC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Australia and the US share similar goals in the Tri-Border Region of the Sulu/Suluwesi Sea and coordination of our respective assistance programs helps reduce redundancy and increase effectiveness. ¶4. The Advisor participated in a meeting on July 31 to discuss the potential uses for 1207 money slated for Malaysia. This DOD-originated funding may make its way to EXBS for use on maritime security issues in the Tri-Border Region. It has not been decided yet which items/uses proposed for the 1207 money will be selected. ¶5. On August 01 the Advisor met with Puan Soria and the other nine RMC officials scheduled to attend the ISIT course in Charleston, SC for a pre-departure briefing and to address logistical questions and concerns. The Advisor met on August KUALA LUMP 00001398 002 OF 002 06 with the three Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) and two Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) officials attending the ISIT. ¶6. The Advisor was in Washington, DC August 20-21 for consultations. ¶B. TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING REPORTING PERIOD ¶1. July 04-06 instructors from the Department of Energy (DOE) conducted a WMD CIT course in Malaysia that was attended by 18 officials from Customs, AELB, and MMEA. ¶2. DOE instructors conducted a WMD CIT Instructor Training course in Singapore July 24-27 for 30 GOS officials from Singapore Customs, Defense Trade Advisory Office, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Ministry of Home Affairs, Maritime Port Authority, National Environment Agency, and the Ministry of Defense. After the course, the DOE instructors, the Advisor, and Singapore Customs officials met to discuss developing specific modules for Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) dual-use training requested by the GOS. ¶3. Eighteen GOM officials from Customs, AELB, and the MMEA, accompanied by the Advisor, attended an ISIT in Charleston, SC from August 09-17. The ISIT was preceded by a two-day CIT course that was for many of the Malaysian delegates the first exposure to WMD commodities. The entire course was well-received by the Malaysians and provided an excellent opportunity to showcase US CBP methods and technology, as well as their professionalism. ¶C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING REPORTING PERIOD NONE ¶D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE ¶1. Proliferation Awareness Training is planned for September 25-26 in the Philippines. ¶2. GRP officials are scheduled to attend RADACAD training October 01-05 in Washington State. ¶3. EXBS-funded bio-terrorism training will be conducted in Singapore October 03-05 by the Department of Justice. ¶4. An AP CIT is planned for November 05-07 in Indonesia. ¶5. GOS officials are scheduled to attend RADACAD training November 05-09 in Washington State. ¶6. WA/National Control List training is scheduled in Singapore December 03-06. ¶E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY None III. RED FLAG ISSUES NONE IV. Questions and comments can be directed to EXBS Program Advisor Richard Moody, telephone 6-03-2168-4861, fax 6-03-2168-5165, cell phone 6-017-213-1965, and email moodyrl@state.gov. LAFLEUR