KUALA LUMPUR – Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin has questioned whether the arrival of China’s Covid-19 vaccine in Malaysia will affect the decision to prosecute six ships that anchored in Johor’s Pasir Gudang.
The Pakatan Harapan lawmaker posed the query in Parliament to Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said, who, in a reply on November 24, said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on October 9 received information on the Chinese vessels, which entered Pasir Gudang’s general-purpose anchorage zone.
The ships along with their crew were detained and brought to the Tg Sedili Maritime Zone for investigations.
“An investigation paper was opened by MMEA to investigate an offence under Section 491B(1)(L) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, which prohibits ships from anchoring without the permission of the director of the Malaysian Maritime Department,” said Ismail.
He said the IP has been forwarded to a deputy public prosecutor for further action.
However, the DPP refused to prosecute those involved, citing the following grounds:
– The detention occurred near Malaysian fishing waters’ border;
– The vessels were anchored for less than 24 hours;
– One of the vessels experienced a breakdown, resulting in the other ships anchoring to assist it. Such emergencies allow vessels to anchor under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;
– The ships and their owner instructed their agent in Singapore to make the necessary notifications;
– There is no evidence showing that fishing occurred; and,
– The vessels genuinely anchored in the zone to prevent a disturbance to shipping routes.
Chan asked Ismail whether the issue was discussed with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his official visit to Malaysia recently.
The deputy minister said the matter was not brought up. – The Vibes, December 1, 2020
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