GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will expand the installation of the Sea Surveillance System (SWASLA) to areas in the east coast of peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak to enhance the country’s maritime surveillance capabilities.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said it would be installed in strategic areas identified as hotspots for maritime crimes, including smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal migration, and encroachments.
He explained that the high-tech radar and real-time monitoring system would help improve enforcement efficiency in the country’s waters.
“At present, there are two operational SWASLA zones, one in Lumut, monitoring the Melaka Strait, and the other in Sabah, monitoring the west coast of Sabah.
“We will also expand the use of drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to monitor sea areas that are difficult for us to access,” he said after attending the agency’s two-decade anniversary celebration at Karpal Singh Drive here today.
Elaborating further, Saifuddin Nasution informed that RM675 million had been allocated to MMEA in Budget 2025 for the maintenance of existing assets and the procurement of new assets, including the Ship Life Extension Programme (SLEP) for six existing vessels, the procurement of Multi-Purpose Mission Ships (MPMS), and two New Generation Patrol Vessels (NGPV).
Additionally, he said the procurement of four Agusta Westland 189 helicopters next year would enhance aerial surveillance capabilities in strategic areas, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.
He also announced that the MMEA would have a new headquarters in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, Selangor, approved under the Fifth Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
Touching on MMEA’s achievements from 2006 to 2024, Saifuddin Nasution said that a total of 16,259 arrests had been recorded under various offences, including the Fisheries Act 1985, the Immigration Act 1959/1963, and the Merchant Shipping Ordinance.
Furthermore, he said MMEA had thwarted 1,789 foreign fishing vessels (FFVs) and detained 15,162 crew members for encroaching into national waters during the same period. Vietnamese FFVs recorded the highest number, at 11,443, followed by Indonesian FFVs (2,221) and Thai FFVs (956).
“According to statistics released by MMEA’s Search and Rescue and Disaster Relief Division (BCLBB) from 2006 to 2024, a total of 3,285 cases involving 16,517 victims of maritime incidents were recorded, of which 14,094 victims were successfully rescued from various incidents,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution added that several high-profile cases had also been recorded by MMEA, including the hijacking of the MT Orkim Harmony tanker in 2015, MT MGT1 near Pulau Yu Besar in 2017, the seizure of two tonnes of methamphetamine worth RM106 million in Penang, and an operation to dismantle a syndicate led by a foreign woman known as ‘Ibu Ani’ in Selangor.
Meanwhile, he also urged MMEA to continue fostering esprit de corps through joint operations such as Op Mardof, Op Tiris, and Op Naga, which involve multiple agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM), and the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).
He also stressed the need to strengthen joint operations with partner agencies from neighbouring countries, such as Op Redback, a collaboration between MMEA and the Australian Border Force (ABF), and Op Patkor Optima, involving MMEA and Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency (BAKAMLA), to curb the increasingly complex issue of cross-border crime.
Today, the MMEA celebrated its 20th anniversary with the theme ‘Dua Dekad Maritim Malaysia, Perisai Samudera Negara’.
The celebration, running from Feb 14 to 16, features various events, including a fleet review of maritime assets, Maritim Perkasa Carnival (KMP), official parade, rescue demonstration by the Special Task and Rescue (STAR) team, and career exhibition.
