Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening and intensifying enforcement operations in national waters to crack down on smuggling and illegal oil transfers, including the unauthorised supply of fuel to ships.
MMEA Director-General Maritime Admiral Mohd Rosli Abdullah said the agency is ready to lead maritime efforts to curb leakage and the smuggling of subsidised diesel.
Last year, the MMEA seized nearly 6.5 million MYR (about 1.6 million USD) worth of fuel, comprising 13,290 litres of diesel and 247,333 litres of petrol.
Currently, the agency is stepping up its strategic surveillance activities, utilising regional satellite technology, patrols, and intelligence gathering at key hotspots to prevent fuel smuggling and protect national waters. The MMEA warned that it will show no tolerance for any abuse of government subsidies and will not make exceptions in handling violations of the law.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof stated that the High-Level Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee on Combating Leakage and Smuggling, which he chairs, will take firm action, including suspending and revoking fleet card approvals for any parties found to be abusing diesel subsidies under the Subsidised Diesel Control Scheme (SKDS).
Fadillah, who is also Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said the committee agreed to appoint lead agencies for three key areas to tackle leakage: the land sector, overseen by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN); the border sector, by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM); and the maritime sector, by the MMEA./.
