KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will finally have its own building by 2027.

The agency, the country’s version of the coast guard, is currently renting a building in the Kolombong industrial area near here, where the Sabah and Labuan MMEA headquarters operate from.

MMEA acting director-general Datuk Saiful Lizan Ibrahim said the new building will be constructed in Sepanggar, about 20km from the state capital, once the documentation and land assessment processes are completed.

“Once we complete these steps, we plan to begin the project sometime in 2025 and aim to complete the building by 2027, which is also when we hope to start operating,” he told reporters on Monday.

Saiful said this after paying a courtesy call to Sabah Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin at the state palace earlier.

He said the courtesy visit was to update the state governor on the latest developments surrounding the MMEA, including the building and its other assets.

He also briefed Juhar on the plans for Sabah’s waters, including the development of human resources and the plan to build an air wing unit station in the east coast Sandakan district.

The station, he said, will house four new Agusta Westland AW189 helicopters, the Sabah and Labuan MMEA’s latest assets, which are under construction in Italy.

He said the supplier could deliver the helicopters in phases beginning at the end of next year.

“Besides that, we are also planning to create a frontline post at Pulau Sebatik,” Saiful said, referring to an island in the east coast Tawau district, which shares a border with Indonesia.

“Assets like speedboats will be placed there to deal with issues like threats to safety and smuggling activities in Tawau waters,” he added.

As of July this year, he said, the MMEA had so far conducted 19,180 physical checks and 37,353 inspections through visual, radio and radar equipment. He also said they made 370 arrests involving various violations.

Also present during the courtesy call were Sabah and Labuan MMEA director First Admiral Datuk Che Engku Suhaimi Che Engku Daik and MMEA engineering director Admiral Hamizan Harun.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/07/mmea-aims-for-own-sabah-building-by-2027