200 Malaysians arrested in Indonesian waters for illegal fishing

"There's no need to detain them - just sink their boats. 10 to 20 boats at the bottom of the sea will make them think twice. Just remember to rescue the crewmembers," Jokowi said in Jakarta yesterday, as reported by Utusan Malaysia's Saharuddin Musthafa.

Indonesia's Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto told Reuters in an interview that curbing illegal fishing was imperative to his government, as the practice was costing Indonesia upwards of USD25 billion every year.

"The President has stressed that Indonesia's maritime sector is in a state of emergency, and drastic measures need to be taken to adress it. Therefore, Indonesia condemns all acts of illegal fishing, and severe action will be taken on offenders.

"We hope our enforcement will send a clear message to our neighbours, such as Malaysia and China, that such actions on our part are not the norm," Andi said in the interview.

Andi added that in the coming days, an additional 300 fishermen are expected to be arrested on similar charges.

The Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia, Zahrain Mohammed Hashim, has said in response that his staff would monitor developments in the case, and are in communication with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry to receive confirmation on details.

"As of now, the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta is awaiting a response from the Foreign Ministry of Indonesia on the allegations linked to the arrests," he said.

Zahrain added that should the offence of the 200 detained Malaysian fishermen be proven, his staff would be on hand to offer the approriate assistance and consultation to the accused.

  ★ kl.coconuts