THE Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Indonesia and Singapore has become invalid, Indonesian Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said.

He was quoted as saying in national daily Koran Tempo on Tuesday that the agreement signed in Bali became invalid when Singapore perceived the Extradition Treaty (ET) as illogical.

Mr Juwono further said that Singapore's position of rejecting it was clearly noticed during Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's visit to Indonesia last July.

'Yes, they already dropped the DCA during Lee's visit,' he was quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono agreed in October 2005 to conclude a DCA as a package deal with a bilateral Extradition Treaty (ET).

Both the ET and defence agreement were signed in Bali on April 27 last year.

But three out of four Implementing Arrangements related to the defence pact were held up, following requests for postponement by the Indonesians.

In July last year, Singapore said Indonesia had asked for substantive changes to the DCA, and that the introduction of new elements afterwards would effectively unravel the entire package.

Since then, objections by Indonesian legislators have added hurdles to the ratification process.

Mr Juwono in his remarks quoted by Koran Tempo claimed that since MM Lee had said the ET was illogical, Indonesia took it that he meant the deal was cancelled.

Singapore had said that the pacts are already settled and the terms cannot be altered without putting the whole package in jeopardy.