MMEA monitoring officers
PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is taking measures, including monitoring officers holding sensitive positions and those with huge debts, to prevent corruption.
Director-general Admiral Datuk Seri Zulkifili Abu Bakar said putting these officers under watch could prevent them from getting involved in graft.
“We are taking efforts to know our men better and monitor those vulnerable to corruption, particularly those holding sensitive positions and those with debts.
“We will monitor them and transfer them to other departments, if necessary. We will also conduct workshops and talks to remind them to uphold their integrity,” he told the New Straits Times recently, in conjunction with MMEA’s 13th anniversary on Feb 15.
He said the agency had cooperated with the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) and would continue the collaboration to ensure that MMEA was free from corruption.
“We encourage our officers and staff to channel information to MACC if they know of graft taking place.
“It is also crucial to identify and arrest the giver, as corruption will not be eradicated if we overlook those enticing others with gratification.”
He said MMEA expected fewer invasion from Vietnamese fishing vessels this year following the issuance of a “yellow card” by the European Union to their home country.
He said only one Vietnamese fishing vessel was detained by the agency in Bintulu waters for encroachment up to last month.
“EU issued the card in September as Vietnam had violated the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing issue. Vietnam has six months to rectify the situation. If it fails to follow the instruction and continues to allow its vessels to illegally fish, it will be banned from exporting marine products to EU.”
Last year, MMEA recorded 70 cases of invasion involving Vietnamese fishing boats, and 59 cases involving Malaysian boats operated by Vietnamese crews.
Since its inception in 2005, MMEA had reduced the maritime crimes index from 48.08 per cent in 2006 to three per cent last year.
The agency handled more than 1,007 cases involving illegal foreign workers with the arrest of 6,720 people.