Dewan Rakyat passes MMEA bill

KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat today passed the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) (Amendment) Bill 2017, which among other things, allows the setting up of the Malaysian Maritime Volunteers.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the establishment of maritime volunteers was important as they would be able to act fast in the event of a disaster.
"If something goes wrong at sea, members of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) may take some time to mobilise assets from the base.
"So, if there are volunteers, for example among fishermen, they will get to the scene first," he said when winding-up the debate.
Earlier, Shahidan when tabling the bill for the second reading, said it also provided for the establishment of lock-ups, and empowered the MMEA to manage them.

"The absence of lock-ups during the investigation process has forced the MMEA to place detainees in limited lock-ups of other agencies. It is hoped the establishment of MMEA lock-ups would be able to solve this problem," he added.
He said the MMEA made more than 5,000 arrests each year across all water zones in the country.
Meanwhile, the Dewan Rakyat also approved the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) (Amendment) Bill 2017 to amend the Intellectual Property Corporation Act 2002 (Act 617) which had yet to be modified since its enforcement in 2003.
The amendment, among others, aims to create a clear new provision for allowing MyIPO to establish a company, thus enabling it to empower itself and diversify its sources of income. — Bernama