KOTA KINABALU: The recent disposal of two Vietnamese fishing boats seized by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Kudat was done according to circular.
The agency’s state deputy operations director Captain Maritime Asmawati Mohd Tujeri said both boats had been stripped of its rights to be reused and therefore had to be destroyed by burying them or sinking them.
She said the agency had appointed a Kudat-based company to sink both vessels which would become artificial reef without involving any cost.
“MMEA throughout the country has been disposing boats using these methods. The cleaning and disposal works did not involve any cost as the it is borne by appointed company.
“Through this approach, the agency saves money allocated for the disposal job,” she said at a press conference here, in response to State Agriculture and Food Industry minister Datuk Junz Wong who had said the disposal of both vessels was made directly to two companies believed to be proxies of opposition party without the ministry’s knowledge.
Wong was also reported as saying the two companies did not ask for any budget for the the cost as they were believed to re-sell those assets including engines worth RM50,000 although the court had ordered both vessels to be disposed.
Asmawati said the agency did not offer any quotation for the disposal of the boats as they had no value to the state government.
The sinking process was conducted in Kudat which was witnessed by personnel appointed by agencies, followed by completion of Disposal certificate (KEW.PA-23) and Disposal witnessing certificate (KEW.PA 22) to be handed to headquarters for records.