EXBS: MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE/INDONESIA/PHILIPPINES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000561 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KNNP KSTC MNUC PARM PREL MY SUBJECT: EXBS: MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE/INDONESIA/PHILIPPINES ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - KUALA LUMP 00000561 001.2 OF 002 SUMMARY ¶1. (U) Advisor visited Port Klang on June 12, 2009 with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer assigned to the Container Security Initiative (CSI). Advisor coordinated the attendance of 3 representatives from the Government of Malaysia (GOM) at the 10th Annual Export Control Conference in Istanbul, Turkey and pursued follow up discussions with the attendees. Three representatives from the Philippines also attended the conference. SITE ASSESSMENTS/MEETINGS ¶2. (U) On June 12, 2009 Advisor accompanied CSI CBP Officer to Port Klang for a general orientation of the port. Although Port Tanjun Pelepas also services the Kuala Lumpur area, port Klang is the busier of the two ports and the location where work has begun on equipment installation for the Megaports Initiative. Advisor was unable to meet with Malaysian Customs officers but did spend time with the head of the port police, (Maj. Rtd.) V. Manisegaran. Major Mani indicated the he is always interested in training for his officers and if there is a way to include them in any future training conducted for port personnel he would be extremely grateful. Following the port visit, Advisor contacted the Royal Customs Malaysia Senior Assistant Director of Customs at Westport to arrange a meeting. As yet no date has been set. ¶3. (U) EXBS sponsored the participation of three representatives from the GOM at the 10th Annual Export Control Conference June 25-27,2009 in Istanbul, Turkey. Ms. Suhaili Ismail from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI); Mr. Syed Mohri Syed Abu Bakar from Royal Customs Malaysia; and Mr. Shazryll Zahirin from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) attended. Advisor assisted in coordinating the attendees' arrangements with the conference organizers and contacted the participants upon their return to Malaysia to solicit feedback. In a telephone conversation on July 2, 2009, Ms. Ismail commented that she thought the conference was very good and was particularly pleased by the number of countries that were represented. She indicated her appreciation of the opportunity to see how other countries had structured their export control laws and systems. Ms. Ismail also stated that she thought Malaysia should participate in future conferences. A conference follow up meeting between Advisor and Mr. Zahirin from MFA was scheduled for July 9, 2009 but had to be rearranged for a later date. A meeting between Advisor and Mr. Syed Abu Bakar is also still pending. The Philippines was represented at the conference by Ambassador Florencio D. Fianza, Special Envoy on Transnational Crime; Congressman Rodolfo W. Antonino, House of Representatives; and Renaldo S. Nicolas, Deputy Commissioner, Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group. The ROP participants at the Export Control Conference and those involved in a Legislative Exchange Program (ref. paragraph 6)are serving in positions that can offer support for the passage of export control legislation currently pending in the ROP Congress. TRAINING CONDUCTED ¶5. (U) None. IMMINENT TRAINING/EQUIPMENT UPDATE ¶6. (U) Insurance to cover delivery of equipment to Davao and General Santos in the Philippines is being obtained. A delegation of members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines will be traveling to the United States July 13-18, 2009 for a Legislative Exchange Program. US participants in the program include US Department of State; Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection; the National Nuclear Security Administration; the Department of Justice; and Congressional staff. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS ¶7. (U) None KUALA LUMP 00000561 002.2 OF 002 KEITH