T

he House of Representatives’ foreign affairs committee has called on the government to evaluate a trilateral agreement on counterterrorism with the Philippines and Malaysia, following the most recent abduction of two Indonesian nationals in the latter’s waters. The kidnapping is the latest in a string of incidents that had prompted the trilateral arrangement.

“The Foreign Ministry needs to be pushed to immediately evaluate trilateral patrol agreements between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia,” Abdul Kharis Almasyhari, chairman of House’s Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs, said in a press statement on Monday.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician further said that the government must make efforts to release the two Indonesians abducted earlier this month and prevent such incidents from recurring.

Fishermen Samsul Saguni and Usman Yunus were kidnapped in Sabah waters on Sept. 11 while they were working on the Malaysian-flagged fishing vessel Dwi Jaya I.

The Foreign Ministry summoned then-Malaysian ambassador Zahrain Mohammed Hashim, seeking assurances that the safety of Indonesians working in Sabah’s fisheries sector was guaranteed.

The abduction took place a year after Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines agreed to establish the trilateral agreement, which, among other things, allowed the three nations to conduct joint patrols aimed at preventing transnational crime.

Under the agreement, the neighbors also agreed to provide first response assistance to seafarers in distress, share intelligence and establish an information hotline for emergency situations.