PUTRAJAYA, AUG.21: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) had strongly protested against the Singapore Police Coast Guard (SPCG) for its action believed to have entered the Malaysian waters and had knocked the net of a fisherman’s trawler that stuck to the SPCG’s boat propeller on 14th August 2023.
Acting Director General of Maritime Malaysia, Vice-Admiral Saiful Lizan Ibrahim said, based on the report, the fisherman involved had lodged a police report relating to the incident that SPCG had knocked his trawler at 0.2 nautical miles in the southwest of Tuas Checkpoint.
“Based on the location of the incident as reported, Maritime Malaysia had referred to the Survey and Mapping Department (JUPEM) for the verification process of the incident on the Malaysian New Map 1979.
“The feedback from JUPEM is that the location of the incident is clearly situated in the waters of the Malaysian Sea Territory near the bridge of the Malaysia-Singapore Second Route (LINKEDUA).
“The location of the incident is a traditional/normal place for the local fishermen in Johor to catch fish and prawns,” Saiful said in a statement.
The statement added, the Maritime Malaysia recorded its disappointment on the extreme action of the SPCG’s boat that had disturbed and spoilt the equipment of the local fisherman besides not respecting the maritime sovereignty of the neighbouring country.
According to Saiful, following the incident the fisherman had to bear quite high losses. Maritime Malaysia will make a diplomatic protest application so that similar incident would not be repeated in future apart from protecting the good relationship between the two countries. –Malaysia World News
