PUTRAJAYA: Security in the waters of the Straits of Malacca is under control as a result of continuous patrols and enforcement operations, as well as strong regional cooperation with neighbouring countries, said Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah.
He said MMEA did not received any reports regarding the incident in Pantai Remis, Perak, as claimed in several local media reports.
“On the contrary, the reported incident was a case of extortion by irresponsible parties from neighbouring countries against Local Fishing Vessels (VNT) in the grey area of the Straits of Malacca,“ he said in a statement today.
He said his party is always strengthening cooperation with Indonesian authorities through initiatives such as joint patrols and special exercises in the Straits of Malacca every year.
According to him, the cooperation has succeeded in reducing various threats, especially cross-border crime.
Based on the enforcement records of MMEA from 2006 to 2024, a total of 16,259 arrests have been recorded involving various offences at sea.
In addition, MMEA also succeeded in thwarting intrusions by foreign fishing vessels (VNA) during that period by arresting 1,789 VNAs along with 15,162 crew members who trespassed into the country’s waters.
Yesterday, Pantai Remis assemblyman Wong May Ing was reported to have said that fishermen in Pantai Remis, Manjung were facing the threat of piracy from Indonesia which has become increasingly prevalent lately.
Meanmwhile, Mohd Rosli said that MMEA has assured that patrols and monitoring would continue to be intensified to ensure that the country’s waters are safe from the threat of maritime criminals.
He also urged the fishing community to ensure that the Vessel Traffic System (VTS) is activated at all times in addition to vessel owners providing Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) to locate vessels in the event of an emergency.
“In addition, VNT owners are recommended to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in their respective vessels to record any untoward incidents that occur while the vessel is at sea,“ he said.
He also asked the public to channel any information or suspicious activities to the authorities to ensure that the safety of the country’s waters continues to be guaranteed.
