KUCHING (March 25): The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will deploy a Turkish-made multipurpose mission ship (MPMS), worth US$68.8 million (RM304.29 million), in the waters of Sarawak.

Its director general Admiral Maritime Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah said that deploying significant maritime assets in Sarawak can strengthen the security and sovereignty of the state’s waters, particularly in the South China Sea.

He said that the effort is also to ensure sufficient assets for the vast water areas, in addition to supporting search and rescue operations.

“I just returned from Türkiye... the Malaysian Maritime (MMEA), with the team from the secretary general of the Home Affairs Ministry (KDN) and Türkiye’s Desan Shipyard are collaborating to transfer this new ship.

“This mothership can accommodate four fast boats for patrols and enhance surveillance capabilities, as well as search and rescue operations. Our focus is to ensure the safety and sovereignty of Sarawak’s waters, especially in the South China Sea,” he said after a courtesy visit on Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here on Tuesday.

Mohd Rosli said three locations in Sarawak have been identified for development with the Sea Surveillance System (Swasla), namely in Miri at Canada Hill, Bintulu (Bukit Nyabau), and Kuching (Tanjung Datu), which are valued at around RM200 million.

“Additionally, we are also developing a maritime zone in Sarikei, and the MMEA has identified the land and submitted an application to obtain the land from the state government.

“Another project is the expansion of the jetty in Muara Tebas, so that the new ‘Tun Fatimah’ ship can be stationed in Sarawak. Currently, it is difficult to dock the ship because the jetty in Muara Tebas is short. The project to extend the jetty has been approved for RM79 million, and is currently underway,” he added.

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