MMEA will take action against corrupt members

KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will not hesitate to take stern action against any of its members who might be guilty of corruption.

Its director-general Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Seri Zulkifili Abu Bakar has stressed that his agency will not compromise with any corruption-related activities, adding that the MMEA will continue to monitor all of its members’ activities to prevent any unwanted cases of corruption. Zulkifili added that he himself had assisted the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in the investigation of the recent arrest of three MMEA personnel for alleged corruption involving the entry of foreign fishing boats to Sabah, last year.

“The MMEA will not comprise in such aspects (corruption) and it will continue to give its full cooperation to the MACC to curb corruption as such acts will affect the integrity of the members of MMEA,” he said in a press conference during his visit to MMEA headquarters in the state capital, yesterday.

To prevent corruption within the agency, the MMEA will be monitoring the income, indebtedness rate and lifestyle of its members and it will also be conducting counselling as well as religious seminars to lead its members to the right path.

On a separate note, Zulkifili disclosed that the MMEA will remain committed in curbing the illegal entry of foreign boats to the country.

“This year, the MMEA expects that the number illegal Vietnamese foreign fishing boats in the country will decrease. This is because, as of September last year, the European Union (EU) had issued a ‘yellow card’ to Vietnam.

“As a result, Vietnam was given six months to solve the matter and prevent further Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing activities,” he said, adding that the report was sent to the EU, through Interpol.

If Vietnam fails to solve the said matter within six months, a ‘red card’ will be issued against them, which will render all of its export transactions of fish-based products to the EU, illegal.

“As a result, Vietnam has now amended its law to ensure that Vietnamese fishermen will no longer encroach foreign waters to fish and it has imposed a tougher sentence for such acts.

“However, I am concerned about some of the local boats that are currently being operated by Vietnamese nationals and that is why the MMEA will continue to monitor this issue,” he added.