Zulkifli lauds Home Ministry for MMEA’s new home

PETALING JAYA: The transfer of the Malaysian Maritime Enforce - ment Agency (MMEA) to the Home Ministry has been a breath of fresh air for the agency which allowed them to thrive, says Admiral Maritime Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abu Bakar ( pic).

The MMEA director-general said that making the Home Ministry as the agency’s new “home”, was a move that made a lot of sense.

“There was nothing wrong with our time under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department.

“However we are an enforcement agency and the Home Ministry, which looks after all the major enforcement agencies in the country, is a better fit,” he said.

Speaking recently in conjunction with the MMEA’s 14th anniversary, Zulkifli said many problems faced by the agency have been solved easily due to the Home Ministry’s experience with enforcement agencies like the police.

“We are a small enforcement agency compared to others like the Royal Malaysian Police.

“So when we came to them (Home Ministry) with issues like setting up of communication and logistics, the problem was almost instantly solved because they have dealt with the same issues before with the police but on a much larger scale,” he said.

Zulkifli said the transfer, which was made official on July 2, last year, has also helped the agency in procuring assets.

“The ministry’s experience in procurement of assets, like ships, and manpower has helped us tremendously,” he said.

He also said cooperation between other enforcement agencies within the ministry are also much smoother now.

“Overlapping jurisdiction and function issues with other agencies and the marine police are easily overcome now that we both answer to the same parent,” he said.