Revitalizing the Indonesian’s Maritime
Security Coordinating Board

“To augment the effectiveness of maritime security in Indonesia, the government will revitalize the Maritime Security Coordinating Board by issuing a presidential decree at the end of February 2004”, said the then coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono , after the special coordination meeting on the developmental planning of the maritime security in Bappenas building in Jakarta on Tuesday. “We will formulate the points into a presidential decree, not in a form of joint ministerial decree. In the near future, the vice president will present it”, said Yudhoyono.

Those attending in the special coordination meeting are the former Minister of Domestic Affairs Hari Sabarno, The Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirajuda, the former chief of staff of the Navy, the admiral Bernard Kent Sondakh, the former head of the National Developmental Planning Agency (Bappenas) Kwik Kian Gie, the former attorney general M.. Rachman.

According to the former coordinating minister for political, law and security affairs Yudhoyono, revitalizing the Maritime Security Coordinating Board would be realized by restructuring organization and empowering the capacity of related institutions. Yudhoyono explained the realization of the previous Maritime Security Coordinating Board would include the changes that the authority of law enforcement is still in the President’s hand, but for the daily activities, the authority will be transferred to the Maritime Security Coordinating Board in which the coordinating minister for political, law and security affairs will be in charge and carry out coordinating among ministers.

Daily operational tasks will be in the charge of executive secretary whose authority is to control all aspects of security and law enforcement operations in the sea.

Yudhoyono said further, “In this regard, the navy will take a leading role of law enforcement in the sea. Further, it needs the increasing supports from other elements so as to be more effective and complementary. Mechanism of coordination and implementation will be carried out by positioning the navy as the vocal point as well as the need of harmonization of job implementation with other related institutions”. (Angelina Maria Donna, Kompas Cyber Media).