He said he was arranging for a meeting between China’s ambassador to Malaysia and the Sarawak state government to discuss the presence of a China coast guard vessel at Luconia Shoals, about 84 nautical miles off the coast.
Local fishermen have complained that they had not been able to fish in their traditional waters in the area, known locally as Gugusan Beting Patinggi Ali, because of the presence of the Chinese ship which had been there for more than two years.
A federal minister has previously spoken about diplomatic protests being made every week without avail.
China claims vast areas of the South China Sea and has declared its territorial waters extend as far south as just off the Borneo coast, has laid claim to the strategic Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands, and has carried out extensive land reclamation for military bases.
Hishammuddin, on a three-day visit to Sarawak, said today that he had told Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem two days ago that he would try to get the Chinese Ambassador, Dr Huang Huikang, to call on the Chief Minister soon, and had also asked Navy chief, Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin to contact the Chinese Embassy to arrange for the meeting.
“In fact, tomorrow in Sembrong (Perak), I will be with Ambassador Dr Huang to celebrate the Chinese New Year, so I can convey the message later…so do not worry, the situation is under control,” he said at a media conference after visiting the Heroes’ Mausoleum here today, according to Bernama.
He said he was confident that direct communication between the Chinese embassy and the Sarawak state leadership would be able to help in strengthening the confidence of the Sarawak people who were concerned about the presence of the ships.
In September last year, Miri fishermen had complained of not being able to fish at Luconia Shoals.
Jamali Basri of the Miri Fishermen Association was quoted as saying: “Many deep-sea fishermen here are afraid to go near (Luconia Shoals) because of the vessel. They are urging the state government to step in, possibly by putting some sort of signs or our (national) flags there to show that the area belongs to Malaysia. This, I believe, would make us less worried about fishing near that area.”
Jamali was also reported to have said a local fisherman had been threatened by armed men on board the Chinese ship.
In August last year, another federal minister, Shahidan Kassim, had said that diplomatic notes had been sent each week over the past two years in protest against the intrusion of China’s coast guard in the waters around Beting Patinggi Ali.
Shahidan, who is a minister in the prime minister’s department, has oversight over the Malaysian coast guard or Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, and the National Security Council.
He said then that Malaysia would continue to make diplomatic protests and work through diplomatic channels to ensure the ships left Malaysian waters. Two months earlier, he had accompanied senior officers of the Malaysian navy, the MMEA and the National Security Council on an aerial survey of the Chinese intrusion at Beting Patinggi Ali.
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