Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution stresses no compromise on territorial breaches but prioritises saving lives in boat capsize incidents.
PUTRAJAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has declared Malaysia will not compromise on any attempts to breach the country’s territorial waters by illegal immigrants or human trafficking activities.
He emphasised that enforcement agencies’ primary duty is to prevent unauthorised entries into Malaysian waters.
However, he stated that priority will always be given to saving lives during incidents such as boat capsizings.
“If we just let them drown, that would be inhumane – so we save them,” he told a press conference after attending the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons event.
He affirmed Malaysia remains committed to fulfilling humanitarian responsibilities during emergencies while upholding national sovereignty and security principles.
Commenting on the recent boat capsizing incident in Langkawi, Saifuddin Nasution said search and rescue operations are actively covering approximately 250 nautical square miles.
The current operation focus is around four to five nautical miles from the country’s coastline.
All victims found, whether alive or dead, will be taken to Langkawi Island for processing.
Authorities will first determine whether victims possess any entry documents or personal identification.
Those without documentation will be categorised under immigration offences.
Investigations will then identify their country of origin and trace their journey path and last known location before the incident.
Thai authorities found six more bodies of migrants believed to be victims of the capsized boat in Malaysian-Thai border waters yesterday.
The latest discovery brings the total number of victims found to 26, comprising 13 survivors and 13 confirmed dead. – Bernama
