Arsani (third from left) and Sia (third from right) with Tawau Fishermen Association committee members.
TAWAU: The Tawau Fishermen Association has proposed for security personnel to be deployed on board fishing boats (mother boat) and more frequent patrols to be conducted to encourage fishermen to go out to sea during curfew hours.
Its chairman Arsani Arsat said in Kunak that there are more than 60 ships (big and small) that no longer go out to sea because most of the Indonesian crew are scared to go out ever since the first incident of kidnapping involving fishermen.
“When the curfew was issued, we (fishermen) agreed. When we were told to have Automatic Identification System (AIS) on our boats, we agreed. We only ask security personnel to be provided on board. There is no cost involved. Why is it so hard to decide?” he said yesterday in a press conference.
He said all the kidnapping incidents on fishing boats happened before midnight and thus there should be more patrols before midnight as it is still early.
Arsani who is also the Sabah Fishery and Fishermen Boat Association chairman said at the moment there are about 300 boats (including mother boats and small boats) that are still operating between Kunak, Semporna and Lahad Datu and if half of the numbers have security personnel on board it would better.
He said the association had already ordered 200 units of AIS but only half will be installed in October and in the meantime fishing boats need protection.
Also present was Sia Keok Chee from whose boat the skipper was kidnapped by gunmen on September 27.
Sia said the criminals took away cellphones, money and outboard engines, and even beat up the crew.
Arsani said the kidnappers have resorted to beating up boat crew and hoped their proposal would be taken seriously.