US Coasties to Train Malaysian Maritime Police

Coasties to do what they do best here:

The US Coast Guards are conducting a two-week training course for the marine police unit at the city base here from Aug 8 to 19.

A total of 24 marine police officers and personnel throughout the country will take part in the Advance Boarding Operations training, which among others involve anti-terrorist training and procedures to board vessels.

State Deputy Commissioner of Police, SAC I Mohd Bakri Zinin said this type of course, which is lacking especially in the State, would prove beneficial to the unit.

"This is the first international training that we are doing in Sabah (and) it is important to us (as) it is relevant and useful in terms of safeguarding our country's waters," he said.

He stressed that the unit needs to prepare for any probability of terrorism and piracy, which have on a few occasions threatened the country's waters, and also ensuring the safety of numerous commercial ships that pass through the country's waters.

"It is good for us to have this sort of courses in the State, considering that we actually (sometimes) have a problem in our waters such as in the East Coast," he said, also referring to an incident recently at the Straits of Malacca.

Bakri revealed that two or three more such training courses could be conducted in future, also with the help of the US Coast Guards, adding that a training for their Tactical Shooting team or anti-piracy commandos is also in the works.

"It is good that the US is giving us the opportunity with this course, given their experience in handling this sort of situations. I believe that this training will enhance our officers' knowledge and in turn, it can be imparted to junior officers within the ranks of the marine police unit," he said.

It's a good thing...