KRI Malahayati Warship to Secure Bali Waters for APEC Summit

Surabaya (Antara) - The Indonesian Navy will deploy the 'KRI Malahayati-362' warship to secure Bali's waters in the run-up to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit early next month, the Navy confirmed on Wednesday. Commandant of KRI Malahayati-362 Lt. Col Mochammad M Irchamni noted in a statement delivered via the Information Service of the Navy's Eastern Fleet Command (Koartim) here on Wednesday that his side was assigned to conduct patrols to ensure the security of the VVIP guests, particularly the Indonesian president, who will visit the island to check on preparations for the APEC summit. During the President's visit, KRI Malahayati-362 and the Navy's maritime air patrol aircraft will guard the waters surrounding the "island of the gods" to prevent enemy infiltration and sabotage missions launched on the sea. Besides these efforts, Koarmatim's coordination task force will support security efforts from the air when the president lands at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport and will remain active until he leaves the island. "The president is a state symbol, and we are obliged to mobilize all our strength, personnel, and equipment to ensure his safety," Irchamni said. Before being assigned to secure the Bali waters, KRI Malahayati had just returned from patrolling the Indonesian waters in the Ambalat region, which borders Malaysia. Irchamni hoped that KRI Malahayati's presence along Bali's coastal areas would provide a strong sense of security, particularly for foreign tourists and the participants of the Miss World beauty pageant. The APEC summit is expected to be attended by the heads of state of its member countries. United States President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping have confirmed their participation in the summit. (*)