PUTRAJAYA: The cabinet has agreed in principle to establish a cabinet committee to explore ways for Malaysia and Vietnam to share intelligence and conduct joint operations, allowing both countries to benefit from the marine resources in their shared waters.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this followed Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee general secretary To Lam's visit to Malaysia recently.
Saifuddin said the committee would include the Home Ministry, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry and other agencies.
"Recently, the general secretary of Vietnam visited Malaysia. During the meeting, the prime minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) and the Vietnamese leader expressed their desire to explore joint operations, where expertise is shared and resources are explored collaboratively for mutual benefit.
"Following these discussions, the cabinet recently agreed in principle to form a committee led by the Home Ministry and the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry and other agencies.
"In principle, we aim to find the best model that allows both countries to share their expertise. We can exchange experiences and deep-sea fishing technologies, and eventually collaborate on joint operations to ensure that the benefits are enjoyed by both parties," he said after the Home Ministry's monthly assembly here today.
Saifuddin said one possible model was the agreement between Morocco and the European Union, which allows Spain, as an EU member, to fish in Moroccan waters.
This win-win arrangement, he said, could serve as an example for Malaysia and Vietnam.
"In terms of deep-sea fishing, our country lags behind our neighbours in technological capability, expertise and assets. For instance, the number of deep-sea fishing licences in neighbouring countries has reached the thousands, far surpassing ours.
"This situation has led to foreign fishermen encroaching into our waters. To address this, we enforce strict measures, including arrests, fines and even the destruction of captured vessels. Such incidents have been widely reported in the media for decades.
"However, the reality remains that Malaysia's deep-sea fishing industry is underdeveloped compared with our neighbours'. Ideally, it would be our fishermen who explore these resources to meet domestic needs. Unfortunately, in terms of capacity, they lag far behind, which is a fact we must acknowledge," he said.