KUALA LUMPUR: It is important to modernise the assets of the Malaysian armed forces and other security agencies, including maritime forces, to protect and safeguard Malaysia’s waters and security, Senator Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim said.
He said it is necessary and not something that should be taken lightly.
“It is widely known that the China Coast Guard (CCG) has recently been seen harassing and intruding into Sarawak waters.
“For instance, in January 2024, Ship CCG5403 was detected entering the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Sarawak illegally.
“Such provocations pose a serious threat to the country’s oil and gas industry and the activities of fishermen along the waters of Sarawak,” he said, adding that the government often faces provocations by the CCG, with their ships being larger and more advanced than the country’s very own.
“We seem to be bullied in our own waters by intruders and we cannot let that to go on,” he said.
He was debating on the 2024 Royal Address in Dewan Negara yesterday (Mar 18).
On food security, Ahmad proposed that the federal government, through the Food Security and Agriculture Ministry, optimise all available resources within the country when it comes to enhancing food security.
“Our country has vast land areas, and we shouldn’t rely too much on food imports from abroad.
“For example, Sarawak has vast land areas. If we had emphasised this properly before, this situation would not have occurred. Innovation and modern technology are a paradigm shift for the food production industry in Malaysia.
“I believe this is the only way to ensure that our country can improve our food security system so that future harvests can benefit from our development,” he added.
