POLICE STATEMENT ON INCIDENT BETWEEN POLICE COAST GUARD OFFICERS AND MALAYSIAN FISHERMAN IN SINGAPORE TERRITORIAL WATERS ON 14 AUGUST 2023
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is aware of news articles by Malaysian media (Sinar Harian and Berita Harian (Malaysia)) alleging that a Police Coast Guard (PCG) boat had entered Malaysia Territorial Waters (MTW) and headed towards the fishing net laid by a Malaysian fishing vessel. This is untrue.
The facts of the incident are as follow.
- On 14 August 2023 at 6.55am, PCG officers were patrolling Singapore Territorial Waters (STW) when they spotted a Malaysian fishing vessel in STW at the sea off Tuas. At the time, there were a few other fishing vessels in the vicinity, but they were in MTW. PCG officers engaged the fisherman on board the fishing vessel in STW and advised him to leave STW.
- After the engagement, a fishing net became entangled with the propellors of the PCG boat as the PCG boat was reversing to try to avoid entering MTW. The fishing net was subsequently damaged in the process of untangling it from the propellors.
- PCG officers were enforcing Singapore’s laws within STW.
The SPF notes that the fisherman involved in the incident on 14 August 2023 was also involved in a previous incident in October 2022, when he was advised to leave a live firing area in STW for his own safety. During the October 2022 incident, he had also falsely claimed that he was in MTW when he was in fact in STW. The SPF had similarly issued a clarification regarding his allegations. Please see Annex for the Police News Release on the incident that happened in October 2022.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
20 August 2023 @ 10:35 AM
S’pore Police’s statement back in 2022
COAST GUARD OFFICERS AND MALAYSIAN FISHING VESSELS IN SINGAPORE TERRITORIAL WATERS ON 23 OCTOBER 2022
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is aware of allegations circulating online about Malaysian fishermen being chased away by Police Coast Guard (PCG) officers for fishing in Malaysian Territorial Waters. The allegations are wholly untrue. The facts of the incident are as follows.
On 23 October 2022, at about 4.00pm, PCG officers were patrolling Singapore Territorial Waters, when they spotted a group of Malaysian fishing vessels entering and exiting the live firing area of Singapore’s Territorial Waters off Lim Chu Kang. Unauthorised vessels are strictly prohibited from entering the live firing area, for their own safety. PCG officers thus approached the Malaysian fishing vessels and used the public address system on the PCG boat to advise them to leave the live firing area in Singapore Territorial Waters.
At about 5.28pm, a few Malaysian fishing vessels approached the PCG officers, and their crew expressed unhappiness at being asked to leave the area. Our officers explained that unauthorised vessels were prohibited from entering the area, and asked them to leave for their own safety. After a verbal exchange, the Malaysian fishing vessels returned to Malaysian Territorial Waters at about 5.37pm. This exchange also took place entirely in Singapore Territorial Waters.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
25 October 2022 @ 7:10 AM