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In search for a new IMO Secretary-General – assessing Indonesia’s strength at the Global Maritime Forum

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The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will soon elect a new Secretary-General. The incumbent Secretary-General, Kitack Lim, is to end his term in December 2023. The selection process to find a successor for the leader of the organization, which is under the United Nations, started in December 2022. March 31 was the deadline for nominating candidates. Seven have been proposed by seven member countries of the organization, whose Headquarters are based in the city of London. Media reported that the seven candidates include Moin Uddin Ahmed (Bangladesh), Suat Hayri Aka (Turkiye), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco (Panama), Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry (Dominica), Nancy Karigithu (Kenya), Minna Kivimäki (Finland) and Zhang Xiaojie (China). Their fate will be determined in elections by the IMO Council, which will hold its 129th meeting in July 2023. As a member country, Indonesia did not nominate any of its compatriots, despite the lack of any impediment. What a pity. Why is it
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TNI AL and Littoral Navies Ties: Good, but Don’t be Too Focused on It

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The Indonesian Navy (or TNI AL) recently officiated a coordinated patrol cooperation agreement, code-named CORPAT INDOSIN, with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). This marks another milestone in the two institutions’ effort to secure the Strait of Malacca. Apart from this new scheme, another joint maritime security measure covering the Strait involves the other littoral state, i.e. Malaysia, and is known as MALSINDO, or interchangeably dubbed the "Malacca Strait Patrol" (MSP). Introduced first in 2004, the MSP includes air surveillance, under the aegis of Eyes in the Sky, and a MSP Intelligence Exchange Group, currently managed by Information Fusion Center, a unit under RSN.   Apart from the joint effort with the Singapore Navy, TNI AL will launch a similar coordinated patrol collaboration with the Royal Malaysia Navy (RMN). All in all, the Strait of Malacca, including the tiny water corridor that runs along the Strait of Singapore, is theoretically well-patrolled by the
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Debunking India-Indonesia Maritime Connectivity

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Media recently reported new shipping connectivity between Belawan port on the coast of North Sumatra province and an Indian destination, to be commenced soon. Initiated by the Ministry of State-owned Enterprises, the plan involves Indonesia Port Corporation or Pelindo and DP World, as a follow up to last year’s investment commitment from the government of the UAE for Rp457 trillion (US$30,19 billion) in the context of which the port business is one area of interest.   Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, the "Indonesia Investment Authority" or INA, a new body set up by the Government of Indonesia to manage Dubai’s investment asset, will accordingly establish a joint company, perhaps in the form of a capital venture, with the international port operator responsible for handling the new connection. This new firm will also invest in the development of the existing container terminal, currently controlled by PT Prima Terminal Petikemas (locally dubbed Prima Petikemas), a subsid
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New Panglima TNI of Navy Origin: Intimidating or assuring for regional friends?

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  A new commander-in-chief of the Indonesia Armed Forces, locally dubbed “Panglima TNI” has been designated. Admiral Yudo Margono, is to replace the incumbent Army General Andika Perkasa, who will retire this year. Yudo in fact was the only name submitted for nomination by President Joko Widodo to the House of Representative (DPR). The nomination was actually quite surprising since the public has rumored earlier that the Army Chief of Staff General Dudung Abdurrachman was the next Panglima TNI.   Something similar happened last year, when Air Chief Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto, the then-Panglima TNI, was to be replaced, as he had already reached a mandatory retirement age of 58, as stipulated by the prevailing Law No. 34/2004 on TNI. In accordance with a tradition practiced after Reform, his replacement was supposed to be Yudo, but President Joko Widodo instead nominated Andika Perkasa as the sole candidate to the Parliament. His choice was a response to a political maneuver by many par
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Maritime Defense System Outlook Under TNI chief of Army Origin

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General Andika Perkasa has been installed by President Joko Widodo as the Indonesian Military's (TNI) commander replacing Air Chief Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto, who retired in November. Though not surprising, the appointment of the former Army chief of staff was still rippling the water, since according to the customary succession practice adopted since Reformasi it should have Navy chief of staff Admiral Yudo Margono's turn to be TNI commander. Certain military observers are therefore of the opinion that the appointment of Andika was an indication of a political victory rather one based on a   merit system within the country’s uniformed institutions. Indeed, months before his nomination to the parliament by President Joko Widodo, a series of political maneuvers had been launched by the so-called "civil society organizations" or NGO demanding the President to immediately appointed General Andika as TNI commander. This also included lobbying by his father-in-law, retire
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US’ TRAINING AID TO BAKAMLA: HOW FAR CAN IT GO?

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The US has finally delivered on its commitment to fully support Indonesia’s Maritime Security Board or Badan Keamanan Laut (Bakamla). In a recent virtual ceremony, the US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Kim officiated the construction of Bakamla campus in Batam Island and committed to spend US$3.5 million. It will be furnished with classrooms, barracks, and launching pad. The project was initiated by former head of Bakamla Vice Admiral Achmad Taufiqoerrochman in 2019. At that time, he proposed the training center to be developed in Serang, Banten province; but his replacement, Vice Admiral Aan Kurnia, moved the campus’ site to the Island. Despite its potential to improve Indonesia’s maritime law condition by educating all-new officers for Bakamla, the Center faces intrinsic problems arising from existing domestic maritime legal architecture in order to meet such a mission. If it fails, the existence of the training institution will be only deepening the country’s multi-actor maritime la
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Setelah MT Horse dan MT Freya Kembali Berlayar

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  Pengadilan Negeri Batam, Kepulauan Riau, sudah membacakan vonisnya terhadap kapal MT Horse dan MT Freya. Tanker pertama (berbendera Iran), nakhodanya diganjar hukuman satu tahun penjara sementara kapal kedua, MT Freya – berkebangsaan Panama – dijatuhi hukuman denda senilai 2,5 milyar rupiah. Sekilas, kedua putusan PN tersebut baik-baik saja. Namun, bila diselami lebih jauh, ada beberapa catatan kritis yang bisa disajikan. Saat tulisan ini diselesaikan, kedua kapal sudah berlayar meninggalkan perairan Indonesia menuju ke destinasinya masing-masing. Kasus MT Horse dan MT Freya menarik diberikan catatan karena dari sejak awal ditangkap oleh otoritas kemaritiman Indonesia sudah membentot perhatian publik. Khalayak disuguhi berbagai komentar oleh para pejabat penting yang ingin pelanggaran oleh kedua kapal ditindaklanjuti. Bergantian mereka muncul di hadapan publik melalui sejumlah konferensi pers. Inti pesannya sama: negara/pemerintah akan memproses hukum kapal tersebut. Yang menarik a
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