Hamzah assures MMEA will get new vessels to beef up security in Malaysian waters

Port Klang, Feb 17 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will get more ships and helicopters to assist in enforcement and rescue operations in Malaysia’s territorial waters, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

He said this was aimed at strengthening MMEA, which had several marine assets that were over 30 years old.

Among them are KM Amanah (40 years old), KM Langkawi (30 years old), and KM Siangin (over 30 years old) which are currently stationed in waters around peninsular Malaysia.

“The existing MMEA ships are very old, so the Home Ministry’s plan is to ensure that all the necessary assets can be obtained as soon as possible to safeguard the country from encroachment by organized crime syndicates,” he said.

The contracts were awarded to a local company that was supposed to deliver the ships two years ago but had experienced delays due to capacity constraints, he told the press at MMEA’s 17th-anniversary celebration.

“Otherwise, we would already have three new ships, but due to their delays, the delivery was disrupted.”

Elaborating further, Hamzah said the first new MMEA ship was expected this year, while another ship will be ready next year and the third in 2024.

“The Home Ministry is also planning to add three additional helicopters for MMEA because the existing helicopters can only operate for up to four hours.”

Hamzah said MMEA’s commitment was not only to safeguard the coast but also national security, and the ships utilized by the agency were proven to help protect and defend the country.

NMT