The government said today a naval base on the north-western island of Langkawi would help improve security operations in the piracy-prone Malacca Strait.

The base, which will be the Royal Malaysian Navy's third regional headquarters, is to begin operations in April although its jetty will only be completed in mid-2007.

"With the completion of the project, the RMN could operate more effectively in the waterway which faces the Indian Ocean," Defence Minister Najib Razak was quoted as saying by the state Bernama news agency.

"Although the jetty will only be ready in 2007, small ships can already anchor when it begins operation in April," he added.

Facilities shared with coast guards

Najib said the Defence Ministry was in talks with the country's new coast guard, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, to share facilities at the base, which includes housing and stores for equipment.

The Malacca Strait, shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, is one of the world's busiest stretches of water. Ever year some 50,000 ships use it to carry about a third of the world's freight.

The waterway, 960 kilometres long and 1.2 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, is notoriously vulnerable to pirate attacks and governments in the region also believe it could be a tempting target for terrorists.

Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have recently launched coordinated military air patrols to boost efforts to counter piracy and terrorism in the straits.