It's strange how many 'armchair generals' we have in Malaysia who are busy postulating their five-sen worth on pirate attacks and kidnapings in Sabah and the consequent apparent deficiencies in the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF).

Suffice it to say that these worthy individuals, who appear to have nothing better to do than vent their spleen by writing letters, have little understanding of geo-political realities or international law.

For starters, ask where the pirate gangs come from. The short answer, shorn of diplomatic niceties, is from the myriad islands in the Philippines and Indonesian archipelagoes. Next, ask yourself why the governments of these two countries are not doing a better job of eliminating the pirate bases in their countries.

Third, ask yourself if Malaysia should invoke the right of 'hot pursuit' so that our Navy and Special Forces can cross into Philippines and Indonesian waters to hunt these gangs down and destroy their bases. That will open up yet another can of worms insofar as a little thing called 'national sovereignty' is involved.

Also, ask yourself what the MAF is tasked to do. Above all, it is there to protect the country against external aggression. Post-Sept 11, it has to take on the added responsibility, as other countries' armed forces are doing, of fighting terrorism - which necessitates close co-operation with the intelligence apparatus.

Then, take a look at the Sabah coastline. Can any of these 'generals' out there tell me how many naval and Special Forces bases are required in Sabah to guarantee effective protection of the holiday resorts? Should this be a top priority? Where is the money for this coming from?

With pressure on the government (from 'friendly' foreign analysts, fund managers and investors) to reduce and eliminate the budget deficit, something has got to give. Most probably, it will be spending on defence and national security.

We are not as fortunate as Singapore, which consistently spends close to seven percent of it's GDP on defence and security - and this for a compact island-state that is a 'little brother' of the US. And which is still making noises about getting the US involved in patrolling the Malacca Straits.

Malaysiakini

should welcome informed comments, not asinine drivel of which the writers have obvious bones to pick.