POLICE STATEMENT ON INCIDENT BETWEEN POLICE 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.
