KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has not ruled out the possibility of more boats carrying refugees from Myanmar entering Malaysian waters.
Its director-general, Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah, said this was due to the ongoing cyclone season, which began in December last year and will continue until March.
He described it as a "favourable window for such journeys" to Malaysia or neighbouring countries.
Rosli came to such conclused based on the agency's investigations into several illegal immigrants recently detained by the MMEA.
"The agency has activated Op Guard 4.0, a joint operation involving the Royal Malaysian Navy, Marine Police Force and the Immigration Department, to prevent the entry of Myanmar migrants.
"MMEA has deployed assets, including air assets, to the relevant locations and hotspots," he told the New Straits Times.
Rosli said on Jan 3, MMEA intercepted two boats believed to be carrying immigrants from Myanmar, consisting of approximately 240 individuals at approximately 2.7 nautical miles southwest of Pulau Rebak, Langkawi.
He said the boats were escorted to the national maritime boundary and subsequently turned back.
He said MMEA assets remained in the area to ensure the boats did not re-enter Malaysian waters.
"As of now, there is no information regarding new entries of these immigrants.
"However, continuous monitoring by MMEA, supported by allied forces under Op Guard 4.0, is ongoing," he said.
Rosli also said maritime border surveillance has been intensified through the use of naval, aerial, and radar support.
He added that efforts to gather intelligence to detect potential intrusions have been strengthened, alongside closer collaboration and information-sharing with Thailand.
"Monitoring personnel at the Malaysian Sea Surveillance System have been increased to oversee and detect suspicious movements of boats or ships in national waters at all times, ensuring appropriate action is taken if any suspicious activity is identified.
"Information exchange with counterparts in neighbouring countries, such as Thailand and Indonesia, is actively conducted.
"MMEA also continues to collaborate with the local maritime community to ensure swift reporting and response to any unusual boat movements at sea," he said.
Asked on the origins of the illegal immigrants, Rosli said most Rohingya refugees from Myanmar fled from Rakhine State, while some also originated from the Cox's Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh.