He said such an agreement had been signed between Malaysia and Indonesia and a similar agreement could also be signed with Vietnam as a follow-up to the letter of intent signed in August last year to resolve the problem.

“We take it (encroachment) seriously because lately there has been an increase in the number of foreign fishing boats encroaching into Malaysian waters in the east coast, with most of them from Vietnam.”

He said 141 Vietnamese fishermen were detained last year for encroaching into Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

He said Vietnam had given a positive response to the matter as the republic was aware of the problem.

Saifuddin, who is also Indera Mahkota MP, spoke to reporters at a fisheries event here today which was also attended by Rashima Baharuddin, Pahang director of the Malaysian fisheries development board.

When asked about efforts to bring back the remaining Malaysian citizens in Hubei and Wuhan, following the Covid-19 outbreak in China, he said the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) was working to bring back about 30 Malaysian citizens still in the republic.

He said the Malaysian embassy and consulate offices in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan would continue to operate as usual to help look into the well-being of Malaysians there as only certain Malaysian staff would be brought home, with their spouses and children.

The Covid-19 outbreak would also be discussed at the Asean-China Special Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Laos on Feb 20, Saifuddin said.

“The meeting will also enable us to exchange notes and experiences (in addressing the outbreak of the disease) and hear a briefing by the Chinese foreign minister on the latest development in the Covid-19 outbreak,” he added.