Malaysian and Turkiye's Desan Shipyard officials at the letter of acceptance signing for acquisition of the MPMS last week. – BERNAMA filepic
KUCHING: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will deploy a Turkish-made multipurpose mission ship (MPMS), worth US$68.8mil (RM304.29mil), in the waters of Sarawak.
Its director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah said 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 the effort is also to ensure sufficient assets for the vast area in addition to supporting search and rescue operations.
"I just returned from Tukiye... (MMEA) with the team from the secretary-general of the Home Ministry and Turkiye’s Desan Shipyard are collaborating to transfer this new ship.
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"This ship 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 to Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here on Tuesday (March 25).
Adm Rosli also said three locations in Sarawak have been identified for installations of the Sea Surveillance System (Swasla), namely Canada Hill in Miri, Bukit Nyabau in Bintulu, and Tanjung Datu in Kuching, with a total cost of around RM200mil.
"Additionally, we are developing a maritime zone in Sarikei, and the MMEA has identified the land and submitted an application to acquire it from the state government.
"Another project is the expansion of the jetty in Muara Tebas so that the new Tun Fatimah-class ships can be stationed in Sarawak. Currently, it is difficult to dock them because the jetty in Muara Tebas is short.
"The project to extend the jetty has been approved for RM79mil and is currently underway," he added. – Bernama
