The Malaysian and Singaporean navies began a nine-day bilateral exercise yesterday aimed at boosting cooperation in the Malacca Straits.

A Malaysian corvette and two fast attack missile crafts will take part in the exercise code-named Ex Malapura , with a Singaporean missile corvette, one missile gun boat and an anti-submarine patrol vessel, a joint statement to the official Bernama news agency said.

The exercise, which would promote mutual understanding and enhance inter-operability, also reflects the close naval cooperation and the strong and long-standing defence relations between Malaysia and Singapore, it said.

The closing ceremony will be at Changi Naval Base in Singapore on November

It marks Malaysia's 17th exercise with the Singapore navy since such cooperation began in 1984.