5-7-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has apprehended four Thai fishing vessels and arrested 19 crew members for allegedly encroaching into Malaysian territorial waters. The incident, which unfolded on Wednesday, June 27th, has once again thrust the long-standing issue of maritime demarcation into the spotlight, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance and diplomatic efforts to resolve such conflicts.
According to Maritime Commander Suhaizan Saadin, the director of the MMEA Mersing Maritime Zone, the vessels and their crew were intercepted approximately 9.7 nautical miles northeast of Pulau Pemanggil, a strategic location within Malaysia’s claimed maritime boundaries. The apprehension was the result of a coordinated operation conducted by the MMEA patrol boat under the auspices of Ops Jaksa and Ops Tiris, which are initiatives aimed at safeguarding Malaysia’s territorial waters around the Mersing region.
“Checks on the four vessels found no written documents indicating that permission had been granted for them to be in Malaysian waters,” Suhaizan Saadin revealed in an official statement, highlighting the apparent breach of regulations that prompted the swift action by the maritime authorities.
The arrested crew members, comprising individuals from Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar, range in age from 26 to 67 years old. While their travel documents were found to be valid, their presence within the disputed waters raised concerns among the Malaysian authorities, leading to their immediate apprehension.
In the aftermath of the incident, the vessels and their crew have been escorted to the Teluk Gading maritime post, where they will face further investigation under the provisions of the Fisheries Act 1985 for the suspected offence of entering Malaysian waters without proper authorization.
