Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore agreed on Tuesday to patrol the Straits of Malacca in an effort to counter a rise in piracy and possible terrorist attacks, naval officials said on Tuesday. The accord comes in the wake of Indonesia’s and Malaysia’s refusal to take part in joint patrols with the United States. They cited fears that their territorial rights would be undermined and that the presence of US forces would attract more terrorists than it deters. ‘We don’t want outside forces having a role in securing the Straits of Malacca,’ Malaysian Navy Chief Admiral Mohamad Anwar said, after meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Adm Bernard Kent Sondakh. ‘It is better that we ourselves take the role in securing it. The United States can help by sharing any intelligence it has.’ Full Story