KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) reiterated that the shots fired at the vessel of the Indonesian migrant workers last week were in self-defense and that they had followed standard operating procedures.
MMEA director-general, Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah, has detailed the accounts of the shooting incident involving its patrol officers and Indonesian migrant workers, which resulted in one death and one person being critically injured.
He confirmed that no MMEA personnel were injured during the incident and that they had followed all SOPs.
He explained that the incident occurred in the early hours of January 24 when the Selangor Maritime Operations Centre received an early detection alert from the Klang Area Control Centre (ACC) regarding suspicious activity in the waters near Pulau Carey.
"MMEA followed the SOPs that have been established. An MMEA patrol boat, part of Ops Ehsan/Ops Tiris 3.0, was deployed to the location. Upon arrival, they spotted a suspicious vessel heading towards the open sea. With navigation assistance from ACC Klang, the maritime patrol asset pursued and approached the target in an attempt to stop the vessel. However, the suspicious boat attempted to evade capture by ramming into the maritime patrol boat multiple times and attempting to attack with a long machete. For self-defense, warning shots were fired at the boat, but the vessel managed to accelerate and escape into the darkness. The patrol boat continued to search the surrounding area for about an hour but was unable to locate the vessel," he said.
Mohd Rosli added that at approximately 9:00 am the following day, the Selangor Maritime Operations Centre received a public report about a stranded boat found on a mudflat in the waters off Tanjung Rhu, Pulau Carey.
Mohd Rosli said the investigation has been handed over entirely to the police. He declined to comment on whether the suspects were involved in smuggling activities, as the case is still under police investigation.
Mohd Rosli said the MMEA had no information regarding who transported the three surviving suspects to Hospital Serdang. He said the MMEA takes the matter seriously and is committed to ensuring the nation's sovereignty and security are upheld. He said the MMEA will continue to increase patrol frequency in hotspot areas and enhance monitoring efforts through the Malaysian Sea Surveillance System (SWASLA) and aerial assets.
"This is to monitor and detect suspicious vessel movements within national waters. Intelligence-gathering activities will also be intensified," he said.
He also urged the public to cooperate by sharing information and reporting any incidents at sea to address such issues effectively.
On Jan 24, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said a shooting incident in the waters off Morib Beach, Kuala Langat, left one person dead and four others injured.
Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the identity of the deceased has yet to be determined, while the four injured individuals are believed to be Indonesians.
He said that when the MMEA located the boat in the morning, they found two men inside. One was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was critically injured and was rushed to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang for treatment.
Hussein also confirmed that police received a report regarding three men, suspected to be foreigners, who sustained gunshot wounds. They had sought treatment at the Sultan Idris Shah Hospital in Serdang.
Meanwhile, Antara News Agency has reported that Indonesia has urged Malaysia to take action against MMEA patrol officers if they are proven to have used excessive force.