‘Do not go fishing beyond country’s territorial waters’

PAPAR: The inspector-general of police has reminded fishermen not to go fishing beyond the country’s territorial waters to ensure they did not intrude into the waters of other countries.

Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the fishermen must adhere to the laws when carrying out the activities.

He said time and again, police advised them not to venture beyond Malaysia’s territorial waters.

“There are laws that prohibit fishermen from fishing outside the territorial waters but this is still happening.

“We will continue to advise fishing boat operators against such acts,” he told reporters at a special ceremony in the Sabah Brigade’s General Operations Force headquarters in Kinarut near here yesterday.

Khalid was commenting on a Sandakan-registered fishing boat found abandoned with its engine still running in waters off Southern Philippines on Thursday.

It was learnt the boat’s three Indonesian crew were missing.

On whether the crewmen had been kidnapped, Khalid said police were still awaiting information from their Philippine counterparts.

“What we have been told was that they (the Philippine authorities) found the abandoned boat in waters off Taganak. In addition, the items on the boat were intact. The missing trio have been uncontactable up until now,” he added.

Meanwhile, Khalid said the five police personnel involved in a shootout with cross-border kidnapping suspects in waters off Semporna on Dec 8, had been promoted for bravery. — Bernama