(Bintulu, 22nd) A recreational fishing boat suspected of operating without a valid license was detained by personnel from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Bintulu Maritime Enforcement Zone in Bintulu waters on the evening of the 19th.
Mohammad Suffian Eldine bin Abdullah, the Director of Bintulu Maritime Enforcement Zone, stated that a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency patrol boat was conducting inspections under the operations “Op Pagar Laut 1/2025,” “Op TIRIS 3.0,” and “Op PERMAI 01/2019” when they intercepted and inspected a white boat heading towards open sea.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the boat was operated by a captain and a crew member, both local men, aged 26 and 21 respectively.
During the inspection by the enforcement personnel, the boat was unable to present a boat license and related documents, and was suspected of violating Section 474(1) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952. If found guilty, it may result in fines or a penalty notice.
Currently, the boat and crew have been brought back to the Bintulu Maritime Enforcement Zone vessel detention center and handed over to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency's investigation officer for further handling.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency once again reminds all sea activity participants to always obey the law and ensure they have valid documentation and licenses before engaging in any sea activities.
If the public has any information on suspicious activities, incidents, or intelligence, they can call the emergency hotline 999, the Bintulu Maritime Enforcement Zone Operations Center hotline at 086-314254, or the Sarawak State Maritime Operations Center hotline at 082-432544. These hotlines operate 24 hours.