Viet fishermen, Chinese scammers dominate 2019 court scene

WHILE Sabahans are used to reading about Filipinos and Indonesians being sentenced for various offences, a different breed of foreigners also dominated the Sabah courts in 2019 - Vietnamese and Chinese nationals.

The Vietnamese were those caught for illegal fishing and poaching in Sabah waters while the Chinese for being international Macau scam members who prey for victims on the internet or online gaming.

Sabah Immigration Department Director Datuk Muhamad Sade Mohamad Amin (fourth, left) at a press conference on the success of the Sabah Immigration Department in overcoming a Chinese-based online investment fraud syndicate operating in KK.

Some 112 Vietnamese fishermen were sentenced for committing various offences under the Malaysian Fisheries Act and this reflected a serious illegal fishing problem off Sabah.

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Besides illegal fishing, the Vietnamese were also caught using unidentified foreign vessels and not notifying Malaysian authorities upon entering the Malaysian waters.

The 112 fishermen were fined a total of RM12,635,000 million. The punishment handed by the court showed the concern for protecting our fishery industry.

Some 27 Vietnamese fishermen were fined a total of RM4,140,000 million for using unidentified foreign fishing vessels and not notifying Malaysian authorities upon entering the Malaysian waters.

The skippers of the vessels were fined RM250,000 or three months’ jail each while the crew were ordered to pay RM70,000 and RM10,000 or three months each.

They committed the offence off Pulau Mengalum. On July 5, another 17 Vietnamese fishermen were fined a total of RM1,930 for fishing illegally at Sibongor Laut Island in Banggi in May and June in two vessels.

On Aug 20, another 32 Vietnamese fishermen were fined a total of RM3.83 million for using a fishing vessel with unidentified registration numbers near Pulau Mandi Darah off Pitas. On Nov 12 this year, a 55-year-old Vietnamese who failed to notify the authorised officer while being in the Malaysian waters, was fined RM800,000 or 10 months’ jail.

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The foreign fisherman pleaded guilty to failing to notify the officer through radio, telex or facsimile in English or Malay while at the waters.

Another five Vietnamese were fined a total of RM530,000 for fishing illegally 18 nautical miles east from Sibongor Laut Banggi, Kudat.

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