SHAH ALAM: Three new maritime surveillance systems (Swasla) will be installed in Sarawak, Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Admiral Rosli Abdullah said on Tuesday in Kuching. A Sarawak Public Communications Unit release quoted Rosli Abdullah as saying that three Swasla radars will be installed on Canada Hill in Miri, Bukit Nyabau in Bintulu and Tanjung Datu in Kuching.
He said the radars were among the development projects worth RM200 million approved to bolster the maritime security of Sarawak waters.
“This initiative aims to enhance sea surveillance capabilities, curbing unwanted activities and safeguarding Sarawak’s sovereignty from external threats,” he stated during a media briefing after a courtesy visit to Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg at Wisma Bapa Malaysia on Tuesday.
Rosli also said the 99-meter Multi-Purpose Mission Ship contracted from Desan Shipyard, last week, will be based in Kuching, when the ship is delivered. She will be based at the MMEA Sarawak headquarters – Kompleks Maritim Tun Abang Sallehudin -at Muara Tebas as with KM Tun Fatimah, the first locally built OPV.
Towards this end, Rosli said the government has approved an allocation of RM79 million to extend the Muara Tebas jetty by eighty meters.
The jetty head will also be extended by one hundred meters to allow the MPMS and Tun Fatimah to berth at the complex. The 83-meter Tun Fatimah needs to berth at the Sarawak port located some 25km down the Sarawak river, whenever she returns from operational duties. MMEA needs to pay the port and service providers some RM40,000 a month to berth her there for services rendered.
It is interesting to note that the US is also funding expansion of Komtas as reported here previously. The MMEA headquarters is located near the proposed site for the RMN long-delayed Regional Command Headquarters 4 or Mawilla 4.
— Malaysian Defence
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Who operares the chain of radars in the Melaka Straits? Is it the Maritime Institute? The ops centre used to be in Lumut. In a perfect world all coastal radars, whether MMEA operated or by others, should be linked to provide a common picture.
Canada hill is also the location of malaysia’s (sarawak’s) first (an also only onshore) oil field, drilled by shell in 10 August 1910
The MPMS (now a large OPV rather than a mothership like wanted before, which is IMO a good call) with 30 days of endurance will be a great platform to do enduring presence missions off bintulu coast. Hopefully MPMS02 and MPMS03 will be quickly ordered and the RM200 million budget to complete OPV02 and OPV03 paid for under RMK13 2026-2030 budget.
BTW what is the current task of Sawarak Coast Guard? AFAIK its jurisdiction is limited only for fisheries enforcement in sarawak waters not more than 12nm from the shore. While Jabatan Perikanan enforcement duties in Semenanjung is now put under APMM, why does sawarak still wants to to this on their own?
Its always MMEA.
Realistically will MMEA have budget for 3 big boats in RMK13? MPMS is RM 300mil while OPV will be RM 200mil each so were looking at RM 700mil budget for all of them.
… – “why does sawarak still wants to to this on their own?”
That will bring us down a rabbit hole.
Why does it want its own airlines, as well as various things? Sure its back to what it should have gotten as part of the 1963 agreement but probably more to it than that.
On another issue Wwat was surprising is the state government allocating 11 million for the army to get UASs for border surveillance. That should be the duty of care of the federal government.
Looks like there is a gap between Kuching – Bintulu, quite far compared to Bintulu – Miri, unless the Bintulu one can overlap both Kuching & Miri.
Lest it be overlooked Bintulu was looked at because of the need to support ops in the Luconia Shoals area. Same reason a RMAF FOB will be there. A base on Kuching is strategic but not more so than Bintulu, depends which area has to be supported.
” Realistically will MMEA have budget for 3 big boats in RMK13? MPMS is RM 300mil while OPV will be RM 200mil each so were looking at RM 700mil budget for all of them ”
More than enough
Even 2025 DE budget for APMM alone is RM570 million. Times that by 5 we are looking at at a RMK13 2026-2030 DE budget for APMM of at least RM2.8 billion.
So 2 more MPMS is about RM700 mil, to complete both (not just 1) OPV needs RM200 mil. Still billions of DE budget left after paying for those ships.
Hulu “While Jabatan Perikanan enforcement duties in Semenanjung is now put under APMM, why does sawarak still wants to to this on their own?”
Think along the line of Greenland relationship with Denmark, Scotland relationship with Britain or Quebec with Canada
Greenland does not have its own coast guard
Zaft – “Think along the line of Greenland relationship with Denmark, Scotland relationship with Britain or Quebec with Canada”
? Scotland is an integral part of the U.K. and Quebec part of Canada. Greenland is Danish territory but with a great level of autonomy. What in heavens white roses does this have to do with Sarawak and the coast guard.
All of us here await with bated breath to know.
“More than enough”
Bear in mind that traditionally, majority of DE budget is not always meant for asset procurement but setting up new bases, refurbs, setting up new units and/or ancillaries, also dont forget that MMEA has an air arm. So DE budget goes into a lot of other holes, otherwise we be having plenty to complete both OPV in this year alone. I believe even this single MPMS purchase alone will require an increase in budgeting or at least a justification for one.
As for Sarawak Maritim, things had died down after the big huuhaa about setting it up. Not even sure if their still operational or not.
They are actually but again reality is something else.
Meaning no operational manpower, just a skeleton admin staff doing Govt busywork, with assets parked in the docks?