What went wrong at sea? MMEA to review SOPs after fatal Perlis boat pursuit

KUALA NERANG, Oct 28 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will launch an internal probe into a fatal boat collision that occurred in waters off Perlis two days ago. The agency's Deputy Director-General (Operations), Maritime Vice-Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah, stated that the investigation would zero in on pinpointing weaknesses and evaluating the necessity of refining standard operating procedures (SOPs) to thwart future mishaps.

"Every operation comes with its set of SOPs, and our personnel are consistently urged to adhere to them," Mohd Zawawi told reporters following the funeral of Senior Maritime Petty Officer (Technical) Mohd Roshaimi Mohd Ridzuan, 41, held at Masjid Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah cemetery. He added that the probe would also scrutinize other areas for enhancement, namely personnel training and the gear utilized during operations.

"These in-house inquiries are typically launched promptly and may span several weeks for completion. Our aim is to ascertain if any SOPs should be tweaked for the welfare of all MMEA personnel and to forestall similar mishaps from happening again," he affirmed. Mohd Zawawi emphasized that the occurrence would not dampen the spirits of MMEA personnel but rather bolster their dedication, particularly among those on the frontline, to safeguard the nation's maritime security.

Concerning the deceased's family, Mohd Zawawi assured that the agency would provide suitable support to his widow and two school-going offspring, as per established protocols. On the day of the incident, Mohd Roshaimi, alongside three other MMEA personnel, perished and suffered injuries respectively when their vessel allegedly collided with a concrete structure in waters off Kuala Sungai Padang, near Kuala Perlis, around 11 pm on Monday.

The personnel were on a chase to apprehend a boat suspected of harboring undocumented migrants when the tragedy unfolded.