The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has always conducted its operations and disposal of seized vessels according to procedures and regulations.
MMEA deputy director of operations Capt Asmawati Mohd Tujeri refuted the allegation by Sabah Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Junz Wong that the process of disposing the vessels was not done in a proper manner.
Wong had questioned why tenders were not opened for the sinking of seized vessels.
“All this while, MMEA arrests suspects and after the legal process is concluded, boats belonging to convicted offenders would be stripped and ownership transferred to the state government,” Capt Asmawati said in a statement.
Wong had also highlighted that MMEA did not inform his ministry about the disposal process before it was carried out.
On the two Vietnamese fishing vessels seized off Kudat, Capt Asmawati said the disposal process was done according to the law.
“Our method is to sink the boats and turn them into artificial reefs, not a single seized boat is allowed to be reused in any way,” she said adding the companies in charge of sinking the boats were local and based in Kudat.
“They did this at a zero cost so there is no issue of opening tenders, no government funds were involved in these operations,” he said.
She said agencies including the Fisheries Department and Environmental Department will be on site to witness and monitor the procedure and ensure that the vessels are sunk at appropriate locations without polluting the sea.
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