By Aida Aziz
Photo APMM
KUALA KURAU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) through the Kuala Kurau Maritime Zone arrested a local B1 class trawler fishing boat with three Myanmar fishing crew at a position 11.3 nautical miles southwest of Kuala Gula, yesterday afternoon.
Kuala Kurau Maritime Zone Director, Maritime Commander Mohd Najhan Azman Hamid said, during a routine patrol in the waters of Kerian and Larut Matang, the Malaysian Maritime Patrol boat team detected the boat and brought it in for inspection.
“The result of the inspection found that a total of three Myanmarese fishing crew including a skipper aged 23 to 39 years old and did not have valid identification documents were on the boat.
“Further inspection found that the boat in question had a valid license but the skipper failed to submit permission to use a foreign crew by the Malaysian Director General of Fisheries and the boat was not operated by the owner himself,” he said today.
He further explained that all fishing crews, boats and fishing equipment were arrested and taken to the Kuala Kurau Maritime Zone Jetty for further action.
The case is being investigated under Section 6 (1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for staying in Malaysia without a valid identity document and Section 8(b) of the Fisheries Act 1985 for violating the valid conditions of the license, i.e. using foreign crew without permission and boats not operated by the owner himself.
Maritime Malaysia advises the maritime community to always comply with the laws that have been set for the common welfare.
Any complaints, misconduct and emergency incidents that occur at sea, the public can report it to the Kuala Kurau Maritime Zone Operations Center at 05-7279919 or MERS 999 for immediate response.
