6-7-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) A Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) officer was seriously injured in the head after being attacked by a machete-wielding Vietnamese fisherman during an operation on Wednesday morning. Terengganu MMEA director, Maritime Captain Khairulanuar Abd Majid, said the incident happened when Sub Lieutenant Shakir Zufayri Azizul, 27, together with 18 other personnel, was conducting an operation at 148 nautical miles off Kuala Terengganu.
During the operation, the team detained a Vietnamese fishing boat with a skipper and 15 crew members on board for trespassing into the state’s waters. A fisherman acted aggressively and attacked and injured the MMEA personnel, which led to other crew members attacking MMEA personnel. The boat skipper and two Vietnamese fishermen sustained injuries to the left arm and both their thighs.
The victims and the injured Vietnamese fishermen were sent to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA) by helicopter for immediate treatment. The boat did not have a valid license or fishing permit, and the skipper and all crew members did not possess any personal identification documents. All the foreign fishermen were arrested under the Fisheries Act 1985 and the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering Malaysia without a valid passport.
