KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 — Maritime Criminal Investigation Division director First Admiral Ahmad Faridi Ferdaus said it is necessary for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to enhance its assets, manpower, and training to protect the nation’s territorial waters.
MMEA also believes the government is still committed to completing the agency’s sea and air assets.
“Although MMEA received used assets from other enforcement agencies over the past 18 years, we are still putting them to good use.
“Alhamdulillah, in January this year, we received the First Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV1), which will be named and launched in early March in Sarawak,” he said as a guest on the ‘Apa Khabar Malaysia’ programme by Bernama TV today.
On January 3, Home Affairs Ministry secretary-general Datuk Ruji Ubi said the OPV1 can serve as a mothership to reinforce MMEA’s readiness to protect Malaysia’s waters.
The Damen 1800 design vessel, measuring 83 metres in length and 13.7 metres wide, can operate for 21 days at sea without resupplying.
Meanwhile, over in Kelantan, the state MMEA detained 100 illegal fishermen in the waters of Semerak and Tok Bali today.
State maritime director Captain Erwan Shah Soahdi said the illegal immigrants were picked up during a joint operation with the state Immigration Department and the National Anti-Drug Agency.
“This operation aims to eradicate the presence of foreign fishermen without permits and curb drug abuse among the local community.
“The detainees, from Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, are suspected of violating the Immigration Act 1959/63 by residing and working in Malaysia without proper documents or permits,” he said in a media statement today.
Erwan said 11 of them, from Thailand and Cambodia, were also arrested under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 on suspicion of drug abuse.
All the detainees were taken to the State Maritime Headquarters and handed over to the Immigration Department and police for further action.
— Bernama
