MMEA measures to ensure integrity of officers, staff
Published on: Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is taking measures, including watching out for those with a lot of debts and those having a luxurious lifestyle, to ensure integrity of its officers and staff.Its Director-General Datuk Seri Zukifli Abu Bakar said these measures were to ensure that the agency's officers and staff were not involved in corruption."We have officers to monitor those with the potential of being involved in corruption such as those found to have a lot of debts and those leading a luxurious lifestyle.
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"Besides that, we will actively organise talks on religion and on preventing corruption to remind them to uphold their integrity and the agency's," he told a press conference here in conjunction with his working visit to Sabah, Tuesday.Zulkifli said the MMEA would not compromise on the corruption menace and would always strive to make the MMEA an agency that was clean and having integrity.He was to responding to questions on corruption-prevention measures taken by the agency following the arrest of five MMEA officers among the 22 individuals detained last November, to facilitate the investigation on a syndicate involved in encroachment of Malaysian waters by Vietnamese fishermen.He said the MMEA always cooperated with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in corruption-related cases involving the agency.
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On the future of MMEA's operations in Sabah, Zulkifli said the State would be receiving two New Generation Patrol Craft (NGPC) this year worth RM60 million each.He said the NGPC, to be named KM Kota Belud and KM Kota Kinabalu, would be placed in Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu, respectively.
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He added that three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) costing some RM740 million would be acquired by 2020, one of which would be stationed in Sabah, while efforts were being made to replace 30 speedboats which had been in operation for over 13 years in the State.Zulkifli also said the MMEA Act had been amended on Dec 13, relating to the establishment of the Malaysian Maritime Reserve Team, Cadet and the agency's lock-up, and was currently being enforced."With the establishment of our own cells, we will be more independent as we will no longer need to depend on other lock-ups such as police's," he said. He also urged the public, especially the maritime community, to play their role when going out to sea by equipping with the necessary safety equipment and abide by the rules and regulations.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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