ABSTRACT
Nevertheless, our concern with this possibility should not result in our lack of attention to the importance of the maintenance and upgrading of the safety and navigational aids in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. One of the consequences of the Asian financial crisis of 1997-8 and the aftermath of the overthrow of President Soeharto in Indonesia was the reduction in funding for the upkeep and maintenance of such social infrastructure in Indonesia. In the post-Soeharto era, the move towards greater regional autonomy and the devolution of power to the provinces has meant that the central government in Jakarta has fewer resources to expend on areas with no direct impact on Indonesian society. From Jakarta’s perspective, the provision of navigational and safety aids is the responsibility of the international shipping community, even while Indonesia adopts a territorial perspective on the issue of freedom of navigation through the Malacca Strait and remains committed to the principle of the primary role of the littoral states in ensuring the safety and security of navigation.
