Indonesia secures consular access to four injured citizens after MMEA shooting; diplomatic note calls for transparent probe

JAKARTA, Jan 28 — The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has confirmed that it has gained consular access to meet with its four injured citizens tomorrow, following a shooting incident involving the Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) last Friday.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, confirmed that its embassy in Kuala Lumpur has been informed that the four injured Indonesian citizens are receiving treatment at a hospital and are in stable condition.

“As of 27 January, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) informed that the Indonesian citizen identified by the initial ‘B’ from Riau Province, who has passed away, can be repatriated once the forensic procedures are completed,” the statement said.

The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has sent a diplomatic note to the Malaysian government, urging a thorough investigation and expressing concern over the possible use of excessive force.

The ministry and the embassy will continue to monitor the case and provide consular and legal assistance to ensure the rights of its citizens are protected under the Malaysian law.

According to the ministry, on January 24, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), while on patrol, fired shots at a boat allegedly attempting to attack its personnel in the waters off Tanjung Rhu, Selangor, at around 3am local time.

Earlier, Indonesia’s Minister of Migrant Worker Protection, Abdul Kadir Karding, stated that they have not yet been able to meet the injured undocumented Indonesian migrant workers, as they are still under the supervision of Malaysian authorities in several hospitals.

“We fully respect Malaysia’s domestic legal processes; however, we also urge that law enforcement procedures be conducted transparently,” he said.

The Director-General of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Mohd Rosli Abdullah, stated that the case is being investigated by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), and the MMEA is ready to provide full cooperation.

Meanwhile, the personnel involved have been “relieved of duties” until the investigation is concluded.

The Selangor police chief, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, explained the investigation found that the shots were fired in self-defence after the MMEA boat was rammed four times by another boat, and two suspects were believed to have attempted to attack MMEA personnel with machetes.

The boat was later found approximately 0.4 nautical miles south-west of Carey Island last Friday, where one man was found dead and another seriously injured, suspected to be Indonesian nationals.

The injured man was then taken to a hospital in Klang.

A medical officer also reported that three men with gunshot injuries were admitted to a hospital in Serdang on the same day.

The police launched an operation the following day to search for other suspects involved in the attack, as the boat used is believed to have the capacity to carry around 15 to 20 people.

The case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder, Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing a public servant in the discharge of duties, and Section 39 of the Arms Act 1960 for the offence of discharging a firearm. — Bernama