EXBS: MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE/INDONESIA/PHILIPPINES

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000171 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL MY SUBJECT: EXBS: MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE/INDONESIA/PHILIPPINES ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - SUMMARY ¶1. (U) On February 6, 2009 advisor received a response to the January 6, 2009 outreach letter from the Director of Import and Export Control Division, Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Muhammad Razman Abu Samah advised that the government of Malaysia is "in the midst of finalizing the export control bill." He expressed interest in workshops on enforcement and implementation of the export control law in general and particularly in the are of identifying dual use items. In his response he further advised that any proposals for workshops should be addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SITE ASSESSMENTS/MEETINGS ¶2. (U) On February 17, 2009 advisor met with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer of AAS, a consulting firm from Bangkok, Thailand that gave a presentation on the company's capabilities for devising port security solutions as well as document/information tracking systems that could potentially be used for tracking and/or integrating export licensing information among various entities. ¶3. (U) Advisor constacted EXBS FSN and Economic Assistant at the US Embassy, Manila regarding possible dates for a site assessment in the Philippines. The suggested dates may be in conflict with ASEAN ARF activities to be conducted in the Philippines. Advisor is awaiting a proposal for alternative dates. TRAINING CONDUCTED ¶4. (U) The University of Georgia (UGA) conducted a Nuclear Nonproliferation Outreach Seminar February 23-25, 2009 at the Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB). The training included Nuclear Nonproliferation Changes and Implications for Regional Security and Trade; Global Nuclear Renaissance and Implications for Strategic Trade Controls; International Export Control Standards; UN Security Council Resolutions 1540, 1673, and 1810 and Multilateral Export Control Regimes; Overview of Critical Elements of an Export Control System; Components of an Effective Licensing Process; Transit/Transshipment/Re-export Control case studies; Export Controls in the European Union; International Cooperation and Preventive Enforcement; and Strategic Trade Control Systems in China, Japan, and South Korea. The 46 participants were predominantly from the AELB, but also included representatives from the Malaysian Agricultural Research Department (MARDI); Ministry of Health (MOH); Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI); Attorney General's Chambers; and Royal Police of Malaysia. Twenty-seven participants provided evluations with 26 respondents rating the training as a 5 or 6 on a scale of 6. Sixteen participants indicated a desire for additional training. ¶5. (U) The Director General of the Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) hosted a working lunch on February 26, 2009 that included brief overviews of trends in export control systems by University of Georgia staff and a question and answer period. Attendees were from various government entities including Royal Malaysian Customs and Ministry of Science and Technology. IMMINENT TRAINING/EQUIPMENT UPDATE ¶6. (U) International Seaport Interdiction Training, presented by US Customs and Border Protection will take place in General Santos, Philippines March 9-13, 2009. In addition to training, equipment will be provided to several Philippine government departments. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS ¶7. (U) None RAPSON