Malaysia accuses Chinese coast guard of escorting fishing boat

According to Kyodo news agency, Director General of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar said on March 29 that last week, Chinese Coast Guard ships escorted 100 Chinese fishing boats into Malaysian waters at Luconia Shoals in the East Sea, off the coast of Sarawak state.

Chinese fishing boat. (Source: THX)

"It's unprecedented. It's the first time. That's why we're taking a cautious approach," Director General Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar told reporters.

This is the first time the MMEA has released details about the 100 Chinese fishing vessels that entered Malaysian waters after National Security Minister Shahidan Kassim announced the incident on March 24.

Also at the press conference, Mr. Puzi used a map to show the intrusion of Chinese fishing vessels in Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Director General Puzi added that these vessels were detected while conducting operations from March 24-28, with the number of vessels ranging from 40 to 100.

According to the head of the MMEA, the Chinese fishing vessels did not fly flags or have registration numbers. However, Malaysia recognized that a Chinese coast guard vessel was escorting the fishing vessels, while another was anchored near Luconia Shoals, locally known as Beting Patinggi Ali./.

According to Vietnamplus