A screengrab of Google Earth indicating the distance of Luconia Shoals from the Miri coastline.

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By DayakDaily Team

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28: The Federal Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) will investigate the alleged presence of a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship in the Luconia Shoals in Sarawak waters.

According to a report by TVS, MINDEF Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said this is to determine whether the foreign ship was really anchored in the area or just passing through the location.

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“Patrols are carried out by the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA)… The waters of the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea are transit-free waters.

“So, it is considered as compromising our sovereignty if the boat stops. If the boat passes, we can’t do anything. That’s international maritime law,” he told reporters after attending a function in Gombak here today.

He was responding to a reporter’s query on the alleged presence of the CCG vessel which is said to make it difficult for fishermen and anglers in Miri to go to the site out of fear of being disturbed by the foreign ship.

The federal government has previously insisted that Luconia Shoals or Beting Patinggi Ali belongs to Malaysia and has never recognised any claim from any other party since it is within Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEE).

Beting Patinggi Ali is located 84 nautical miles or 155 kilometers from the coast of Miri, specifically in Tanjung Baram, Sarawak. — DayakDaily