KUANTAN: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is ramping up efforts for maritime enforcement preparedness and operations through a joint exercise with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in the South China Sea.
The cooperation follows a four-day port call by the National Security cutter USCGC Munro (WMSL 755) until tomorrow.
MMEA Enforcement and Coordination Division director Maritime Rear Admiral Aminuddin Abdul Rashid said the exercise aims to improve the skills and knowledge of both countries in relation to maritime enforcement and safety in the region.
"The cooperation between Maritime Malaysia and the USCG is a proactive step in improving the safety and security of the waters.
"Among the activities carried out by both parties are search training and damage control fire-fighting," he said.
He added that two MMEA officers have been given the opportunity to participate in the on-board training with UCSGC Munro.
The officers will sail with the ship to Thailand and Singapore to gain greater in-depth maritime and navigational knowledge.
During the port call, MMEA officers were given a tour of the Munro to witness the ship's capabilities and equipment.
US Embassy chargé d'affaires Manu Bhalla said the port call was one example of the strong ties between the US and Malaysia in maritime security enforcement.
"Together, our two countries cooperate in maritime domain awareness, joint training, combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing as well as other law enforcement efforts," he added.
Meanwhile, USCGC Munro commanding officer Captain Rula Deisher said the programme with MMEA would help enhance the interoperability of both agencies.
"We are very happy with the opportunity given to work with friends from Maritime Malaysia.
"We are excited about the joint activities at sea that were carried out while strengthening the interoperability of both sides," she added.
Commissioned into active service in 2017, the USCGC Munro is one of the nine ships of its class in the USCG fleet.
Its primary missions include national and foreign defence operations, counter-drug, law enforcement, search and rescue, fisheries enforcement and international outreach.
The ship's arrival also marked the first time in more than five years that the USCG had made a port call in Malaysia.
The last one was USCGC Stratton in Lumut, Perak in 2019.