Securing the borders to keep encroachers at bay

AS a coastal security front-liner, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) stands ready to protect the country from encroachment into its territorial waters by illegal immigrants and foreign fishing vessels, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The agency is part of the integrated operations in collaboration with the army, police, and navy to defend the country’s borders and sovereignty.

To curb illegal entries into Malaysia by sea when the country is facing Covid-19, Ops Benteng Laut Timor has been mounted to keep suspicious-looking vessels at bay.

MMEA Sarawak director First Admiral Zin Azman Md Yunus said the operation has been carried out in Sarawak’s waters since May 21, 2020, under the National Security Council (NSC) via the National Task Force (NTF) to coordinate security control operations and cut off entry routes of illegal immigrants in hotspot areas.

He said these deterrent measures were spearheaded by the navy through Maritime Component Commander (MCC) Timur and MMEA, which is a component of MCC Timur, to facilitate Ops Benteng Laut Timur in Sarawak’s waters.

“The purpose is to curb illegal entries by sea. The government’s initiatives to contain the pandemic will not be successful if the country’s borders are compromised.

“The threats from illegal immigrants cannot be effectively checked without tight border controls. It’s feared they will form new clusters to jeopardise the health-security level following a new wave of Covid-19 in the country.

“MMEA Sarawak has been coordinating this operation with the navy, Marine Police, Sarawak Marine Fisheries Department, and Royal Malaysian Customs, Sarawak, and till today, there hasn’t been any report of illegal immigrant entries by sea into the state.

“So far, MMEA Sarawak has successfully pushed back these illegal entries. We will continue to ensure they do not trespass into the state or country and spread the virus.”

Zin Azman added that throughout the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), their instructions have been to expel foreign fishing boats from Malaysia’s waters.

“Details of the fishing boats are recorded before they are escorted out. To date, MMEA Sarawak has logged a total of 21 deportations. This is to prevent the forming of new clusters and enhance the government’s efforts in flattening the pandemic curve.”

He said under Ops Benteng, there had, so far, been no illegal immigrant arrests for entering into the state by sea, adding, “This shows the effectiveness of pre-emptive actions taken by MMEA and the other enforcement agencies.”

 

MoH constraints

According to Zin Azman, one of the reasons why illegal immigrants and their vessels are deported instead of being arrested is that deportation takes into account the constraints faced by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in containing the spread of the virus in the country.

“If we arrest them, the standard operating procedures (SOPs) have to be followed and the intruders will be taken to our clinics for swab tests. Usually, foreign fishing boats have more than 20 crew members. Their detention will involve a heavy workload for the agencies concerned and put a strain on resources,” he explained.

Zin Azman said based on statistics from Jan 1 to Nov 30, 2020, MMEA Sarawak had detained nine foreign fishing vessels for encroachment and illegal fishing in Sarawak’s waters – eight from Vietnam and one from Indonesia.

In the same period, 78 foreign fishermen were arrested – 73 Vietnamese and five Indonesians, he added.

“All the arrests were investigated under the Fisheries Act 1985 for fishing in Malaysia’s waters without valid documents or permits from the director-general of Fisheries Malaysia and the offenders were sentenced accordingly.

“Cases investigated under Section 15(1) of the Fisheries Act 1985 for foreign fishing vessels not having any valid documents to catch fish in national waters or fishing too close to the coast, provides a fine of up to a maximum RM6 million for the skipper, and RM600,000 each for the crew. Their rights to the vessels could be stripped off.”

Media sea trip

During a recent trip out to the South China Sea on board MMEA Sarawak’s 39m long vessel, KM Cekal, members of the media had the opportunity to witness the Ops Benteng team in action.

The vessel set out from MMEA jetty at Tun Abang Salahudin Complex (Komtas), Muara Tebas, around 8.30am, led by Lt Com Maritime Fadli Hisham Muhammad from Pasir Mas, Kelantan.The journey usually takes two hours each way and early morning is the best time to observe the activities around the seas.

The media group saw for themselves how MMEA Sarawak personnel perform their daily tasks.

“The operation is to ensure Sarawak’s waters and borders are not encroached by illegal immigrants to curb the spread of the virus to the state,” said Fadli, who has six years’ experience working as Tanjung Manis zone director.

After a few hours at sea, the KM Cekal detained a locally-registered fishing boat for inspection.

MMEA personnel checked the boat and the necessary documents and reminded the crew to wear masks and life jackets and take other precautions for their own safety.

Fadli stressed MMEA personnel themselves must also adhere to Covid-19 SOPs when inspecting fishing vessels.

He said if there were no document-related issues, the fishing boat crew would be briefed on Covid-19 and measures that could be taken by the maritime community to prevent transmission.

They would also be reminded to take extra care during the monsoon, including staying onshore if the currents and waves were dangerous, he added.

 

Operations at sea

According to Fadli, on normal days, MMEA Sarawak would sail over 200 nautical miles along navigation routes in the South China Sea for 20 hours on each patrol, involving 25 personnel who will spend seven days at sea on operational duties under his supervision.

“The operations involve areas determined by MMEA Operations Centre. The focus of surveillance is on the hotspot areas, especially around Tanjung Datu, which borders on Malaysian-Indonesian waters.

“Moreover, the seven-day operations also cover Sarawak’s waters around the border areas between Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. We operate regularly in these areas together with the navy, marine police, Royal Malaysia Customs and Excise Department, and Sarawak Fisheries Department.

“Our main aim is to prevent encroachment by foreign fishermen, such as from Vietnam and Indonesia, and also those in unregistered vessels from any country.

“We check their documents and advise them to take precaution to avoid Covid-19 transmission among their own groups. If they are to be detained for any offence, then we will act accordingly,” he said.

Fadli added the movements at sea are monitored with the help of the air force and the air wing units, deployed to patrol the borders day and night.

He said being at sea for six to seven days, the vessel was like a second home to them, adding, “Even during festive seasons, we don’t get to celebrate with our families.”

He pointed out that as a commanding officer, he must be mindful of the welfare of his men.

“I need to know when they should take a break and let the other personnel take over. I also motivate and educate the crew.

“This is no easy task as it requires understanding our work scope and its challenges. There’s definitely a risk to the vessel and the crew.”

 

Other operations

Besides Ops Benteng, MMEA Sarawak has also mounted Ops Naga Timur, Ops Kuda Laut, and Ops Khas Raja Laut.

Ops Naga Timur, launched in July 2019, targets encroachment by foreign fishermen while Ops Kuda Laut, launched in June 2020, watches out for Vietnamese fishing boats in the South China Sea, detaining them if they have broken the law, and also prevents trespassing by foreign fishing vessels into Sarawak and Sabah’s waters.

As for Ops Khas Raja Laut, the focus is on joint operations with the navy, specifically activated to monitor Beting Patinggi Ali, some 84 nautical miles off the Miri coast, on a rotational or scheduled basis in line with the objective to defend the country’s sovereignty.

MMEA Sarawak also reminded the maritime community to report any emergencies or criminal activities at sea to the MMEA Operations Centre via 082-432544 or the 24-hour MERS 999 hotline.