SABAK BERNAM: A fishing boat owner from Sekinchan claimed that the Indonesian authorities had randomly fired at his vessel for allegedly trespassing into their waters last Friday.
Chia Jui Leng alleged that the incident took place on Tuesday when his boatman along with a crew of five Myanmar nationals, onboard a Type C vessel, were fishing in the Malaysian waters.
“I received a call from my office saying that the Indonesian authorities had fired at least 10 shots at the boat at about 10am. I immediately contacted the boatman and was relieved to hear that they are all safe.
“My fishing boat finally arrived at the Sekinchan fishermen’s jetty at 2.15pm yesterday and three bullet holes were found in the hull. I have another boat that has been detained by the Indonesian authorities for allegedly fishing in their waters. A boat belonging to another fisherman had also been detained for supposedly committing the same offence.
“My boat is worth RM1.5 million and four of my Indonesian crew members have been arrested. I am worried that the Indonesian authorities will blow up by my vessel (next time) for allegedly crossing into their waters,” said the 45-year-old man.
As for Heng Jen Ping, whose RM700,000 boat was detained by the Indonesian authorities, expressed regret over the incident.
“It was the Indonesian authorities that crossed into our waters,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) southern district forensic chief Lieutenant Madya Aieri Nizzam Norizan confirmed receiving a report on the incident.
“The Indonesian authorities were said to have fired several shots at the boat when it was at 30.8 nautical miles north west off Kuala Selangor water,” he said, adding that MMEA is investigating the matter.