‘Out-of-order buoys a safety concern for fishermen’

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Lee (fourth left) and Mohd Sahrin (third left) talking to Mawi’s mother at the fishermen hut where he usually stayed overnight.

MIRI: Fishermen at Kampung Batu Satu have been advised to identify buoys around their area that need maintenance or repair so that they can be rectified by the authority concerned.

Assistant Minister of Communications Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who gave this advice yesterday, said had all buoys been properly maintained, the incident involving 36-year-old fisherman Ismawi Nawin from Permayjaya at about 5.30am on Wednesday might not have happened.

Lee said he was told Ismawi had gone out to sea in pitch darkness, and because one of the buoys did not have any light on it, the 30-foot-long fishing boat he was in accidently rammed into it and he fell into the sea at about seven nautical miles off Kuala Baram.

A search and rescue (SAR) operation is still on looking for him.

Lee, who met Ismawi’s mother Doriwsa Ripin at Kampung Batu Satu, said fishermen told him many beacons on buoys in their area were down.

“The beacons on the buoys are no longer functioning as there was no proper maintenance by those who placed them there.

It has been going on for quite some time now.

“Some fishermen also claimed some buoys are partially submerged after being knocked by ships and vessels,” said Lee, who is also Senadin assemblyman.

Lee, who was briefed by a SAR operation officer Mohd Sahrin Idris from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, stressed that the authority concern must do something about this.

On a related matter, Lee said all fishermen should wear life jackets when they are at sea.

“Although they might know how to swim, they must wear it all the time for safety reason. The jacket will also keep them afloat if they no longer have the energy to swim if their boats got into trouble,” said Lee, who was told that Ismawi did not know how to swim.

Meanwhile, Mohd Sahrin said the Agency received the distress call at about 7am on Wednesday, and they immediately mounted a SAR operation with the help of the police, Miri Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), Civil Defence Department and fishermen.

The Agency had also brought three divers to the area where Ismawi was last seen.

According to Doriwsa , her son started working as a fisherman about five years ago.

Ismawi is divorced and all his four children are staying with his ex-wife in Kampung Piasau Utara. Although he stayed in Permyjaya with Doriwsa and his sisters, Ismawi had a habit of staying overnight in a fishermen hut every time before went out to sea.