PELABUHAN KLANG (July 6): The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) today receives two new generation patrol craft (NGPC) to strengthen the agency's surveillance activities in the Malaysian Maritime Zone (MMZ).
Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said the two NGPC, namely, Maritime Ship or ‘Kapal Maritime’ (KM) Kota Kinabalu would be located in Kuching, Sarawak while KM Tok Bali in Tok Bali, Kelantan.
Hamzah said both vessels would focus on combating encroachments by foreign fishing boats in the national territorial waters, especially in the South China Sea.
"The encroachment of foreign fishing boats is a critical threat to the national fisheries industry. It not only robs the nation of revenue from marine resources but also undermines local fishermen's income.
"It also harms the marine bio-diversity eco-system in the country's waters," he told a news conference after seeing the handover of the two NGPC from Destination Marine Services Sdn Bhd, the local company that built the assets for MMEA here today.
Commenting on the characteristics of the NGPC, Hamzah said it is capable of cruising at 24 knots and operating for ten days at sea without re-supplying to carry out enforcement and search and rescue duties.
In addition, the NGPC also has several features including a 30 mm Aselsan cannon from Turkey, Long Range Surveillance Camera for day and night photography and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a drone capable of conducting long-range air monitoring, as well as being able to comprehensively control oil spills.
Hamzah said KM Kota Kinabalu and KM Tok Bali were among five of the six NGPC costing RM400 million which had been received by MMEA and the final asset of the same type was still under construction.
At the same time, he said MMEA was also expected to receive three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), namely, one this year and the rest next year to spruce up surveillance activities in the national waters by the agency.
OPV is capable of carrying out operations at sea for up to 21 days without re-supplying and is capable of carrying out long-range surveillance up to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) areas and out of reach of smaller ships.
The asset, which is capable of carrying a crew of 70 with 20 passengers at a time, has a speed of 21 knots and is equipped with UAV, helicopter landing site, Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB), 30 mm Smash Aselsan cannon, fast interceptor craft, treatment room and lock up.
In addition, Hamzah said his ministry was also working to acquire a Multi Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS) or a mother ship equipped with high-tech equipment capable of carrying six units of fast interceptor craft and UAV.
"With this kind of asset capabilities, I am confident in the near future MMEA will be on par with international maritime agencies.
"As the leading agency in protecting the country's waters, MMEA will be strengthened from time to time with the acquisition of new assets equipped with various high-tech facilities," he said.
PELABUHAN KLANG: One of two new generation patrol craft (NGPC) received by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) today will be located in Kuching, Sarawak.
Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, who told that the vessels were for strengthening the agency’s surveillance activities in the Malaysian Maritime Zone (MMZ), said the one for Kuching was ‘Kapal Maritime’ (KM) Kota Kinabalu while KM Tok Bali will be located in Tok Bali, Kelantan.
Hamzah said both vessels would focus on combating encroachments by foreign fishing boats in the national territorial waters, especially in the South China Sea.
“The encroachment of foreign fishing boats is a critical threat to the national fisheries industry. It not only robs the nation of revenue from marine resources but also undermines local fishermen’s income.
“It also harms the marine bio-diversity eco-system in the country’s waters,” he told a news conference after seeing the handover of the two NGPC from Destination Marine Services Sdn Bhd, the local company that built the assets for MMEA, here, today.
Commenting on the characteristics of the NGPC, Hamzah said it is capable of cruising at 24 knots and operating for ten days at sea without re-supplying to carry out enforcement and search and rescue duties.
In addition, the NGPC also has several features including a 30 mm Aselsan cannon from Turkey, Long Range Surveillance Camera for day and night photography and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a drone capable of conducting long-range air monitoring, as well as being able to comprehensively control oil spills.
Hamzah said KM Kota Kinabalu and KM Tok Bali were among five of the six NGPC costing RM400 million which had been received by MMEA and the final asset of the same type was still under construction.
At the same time, he said MMEA was also expected to receive three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), namely, one this year and the rest next year to spruce up surveillance activities in the national waters by the agency.
OPV is capable of carrying out operations at sea for up to 21 days without re-supplying and is capable of carrying out long-range surveillance up to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) areas and out of reach of smaller ships.
The asset, which is capable of carrying a crew of 70 with 20 passengers at a time, has a speed of 21 knots and is equipped with UAV, helicopter landing site, Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB), 30 mm Smash Aselsan cannon, fast interceptor craft, treatment room and lock up.
In addition, Hamzah said his ministry was also working to acquire a Multi-Purpose Mission Ship (MPMS) or a mother ship equipped with high-tech equipment capable of carrying six units of fast interceptor craft and UAV.
“With this kind of asset capabilities, I am confident in the near future MMEA will be on par with international maritime agencies.
“As the leading agency in protecting the country’s waters, MMEA will be strengthened from time to time with the acquisition of new assets equipped with various high-tech facilities,” he said. – Bernama
APMM Terima 2 Kapal NGPC
Malaysia pada Isnin menerima dua buah lagi Kapal Ronda Generasi Baharu-NGPC dalam usaha mempertingkatkan kekuatan armadanya di Laut Cina Selatan, bagi mengawal perairan di Kelantan dan Sarawak, yang merupakan sebahagian daripada pakej bernilai RM400 juta untuk kesemua enam kapal baru yang ditempah daripada syarikat tempatan, demikian menurut pegawai kanan kerajaan.
Menteri Dalam Negeri Hamzah Zainuddin berkata, kedua-dua kapal ronda generasi baharu yang dinamakan KM Kota Kinabalu dan KM Tok Bali milik Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (APMM) itu adalah untuk memperkasakan tugasan penguatkuasaan membanteras pencerobohan nelayan asing di perairan Zon Maritim Malaysia.
“KM Kota Kinabalu akan ditempatkan di Kuching, Sarawak manakala KM Tok Bali pula akan ditempatkan di Tok Bali, Kelantan. Penempatan kedua-dua kapal ini adalah lebih tertumpu kepada pembenteras pencerobohan bot asing di perairan negara, khususnya di Laut China Selatan,” tambah Hamzah.
Katanya, kedua-dua buah kapal berukuran 45 meter panjang dan 7.7 meter lebar itu berupaya belayar dengan kelajuan sehingga 24 knot, serta memiliki kemampuan menjalankan tugasan penguatkuasaan tanpa perlu pulang untuk menambah bekalan selama 10 hari.
Beliau yang menyaksikan majlis serah-terima kapal berkenaan antara Destination Marine Service Sdn Bhd, syarikat pembuat tempatan dengan APMM di Pelabuhan Klang pada Isnin berkata kedua kapal tersebut adalah sebahagian daripada enam NGPC yang dibeli kerajaan bagi agensi penguatkuasaan maritim dengan kos keseluruhannya RM381 juta untuk menggantikan kapal rondaan sedia ada yang usang dan telah lama digunakan.
“Kesemua enam kapal NGPC yang ditempah dilengkapi sistem persenjataan dan pemantauan terkini, termasuk Meriam 30mm Aselsan, serta kamera pemantauan jarak jauh dan kebolehan mengambil gambar pada waktu malam dengan turut dilengkapi pesawat tanpa pemandu (UAV) yang berupaya melakukan pemantauan dari udara dengan jarak yang jauh, radar permukaan dan radar sonar, bot Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) kelengkapan untuk menangani insiden tumpahan minyak, dan boleh dioperasikan 27 anggota,
“Kapal pertama diterima pada 2017, tiga lagi NGPC telah diterima dan ditempatkan di Klang, Selangor (KM Bagan Datuk); Kuching, Sarawak (KM Sri Aman); dan Sandakan, Sabah (KM Kota Belud), manakala kapal ke-enam masih di dalam proses pembinaan,” tambah Menteri itu lagi.
Katanya, Kementerian Dalam Negeri amat serius dalam perlakuan jenayah di Zon Maritim Malaysia dan keperluan mengupayakan APMM adalah tepat pada masanya berikutan keanggotaannya dalam National Task Force yang bekerjasama dengan Anggota Tentera Malaysia dan Polis Diraja Malaysia mengekang kemasukan Pendatang Tanpa Izin,
APMM mula beroperasi pada November 2005 dan berkuatkuasa di bawah Akta APMM yang diwartakan pada 1 Julai 2004 dan menjalankan kawalan pemantauan penguatkuasaan Zon Maritim Malaysia yang bersaiz 614,000 kilometer persegi dengan peringkat awal operasi, banyak bergantung kepada kapal-kapal lama milik Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia dan Polis Marin.
Berdasarkan maklumat daripada laporan tempatan, APMM memiliki kira-kira 256 aset sedia ada, antaranya kapal, bot, helikopter dan pesawat amfibia termasuk kapal lama yang diberikan oleh agensi-agensi lain.
Jumlah keseluruhan dan kedudukan aset-aset APMM yang terkini tidak diketahui dengan cubaan BeritaBenar untuk mendapatkannya bagaimanapun tidak mendapat maklumbalas daripada agensi tersebut.
Sementara itu, Pakar Keselamatan Kapten Bersara Abdul Rahmat Omar Tun Mohd Haniff pula berkata selain NGPC, APMM masih mengoperasikan sebanyak dua buah bot ex-Bay class milik Kastam Australia dan 14 buah bot peronda laju ex-PZ class yang dahulunya dimiliki oleh Polis Diraja Malaysia.
"Kapal ronda luar pesisir pantai atau Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) yang lebih besar diperlukan untuk menangani pencerobohan aset China Coast Guard di dalam EEZ kerana kebolehannya untuk berada di lautan luas untuk jangkamasa yang lebih lama. Buat masa ini APMM mempunyai empat buah OPV dan dijangka menerima tiga buah lagi bermula penghujung tahun ini."
Tingkat keselamatan maritim
Sementara itu, Abdul Rahmat Omar berkata penerimaan dua buah NGPC itu dijangka akan mampu meningkatkan lagi kebolehan keselamatan maritim negara.
Tambahnya, penggunaan dron juga akan membantu kapal ronda dalam menangkap penjenayah ketika melakukan kesalahan sebelum kapal dapat menghampiri dan video yang ditangkap oleh dron mampu digunakan sebagai bahan bukti di mahkamah bagi membantu kes.
"Kapal baru juga sudah tentunya akan menjimatkan lagi perbelanjaan negara. Selama ini APMM telah beroperasi dengan menggunakan kapal yang diwarisi daripada agensi lain dan berusia lebih daripada 20 tahun.
"Sesetengah aset mereka juga telah mencecah usia hampir 60 tahun. Kos untuk menjaga aset lama ini adalah amat tinggi sekali," kata Rahmat lagi.
Seorang lagi penganalisis keselamatan dari Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Ramli Dollah turut memberikan komen optimistik berkenaan perolehan kapal baru oleh APMM.
Menurut beliau, ia adalah selari dengan keperluan dan masalah keselamatan yang semakin kompleks di Laut Cina Selatan, termasuk menangani isu penyeludupan serta operasi mencari dan menyelamat di lautan.
"Di satu sisi lain, pemilikan ini memberi imej baik kepada negara kerana ia menunjukkan langkah bersungguh-sungguh negara dalam keadaan ekonomi yang tidak menentu ini masih memberikan perhatian kepada isu keselamatan dan kedaulatan negara," kata beliau.
Akan tetapi, ketika ditanya mengenai keupayaan baru itu samada ia mampu untuk digunakan apabila berhadapan dengan ancaman kapal dari negara China yang banyak menceroboh masuk ke perairan negara, Ramli menyatakan bahawa ia masih belum mempunyai kebolehan seumpama itu.
"Malaysia masih tidak mampu berhadapan dengan ancaman China di Laut Cina Selatan. Walaupun dilengkapi dengan meriam, namun kapal-kapal ini lebih sesuai berhadapan dengan ancaman bukan tradisional termasuk juga operasi mencari menyelamat,” kata Ramli.
