SIBU: A total of 111 incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia have been reported between January and July this year.
Out of these, 94 incidents took place in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore also known as SOMS, making up 85 per cent of total number of incidents in Asia.
This was disclosed by the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ship in Asia (ReCAAP) assistant director, Kwon Soon Tae.
“Most of these incidents involved large vessels, but we are seeing more incidents of unauthorised boarding of barges towed by tugboats, for stealing of scrap metal,” he stated at the Anti-Piracy forum 2025 organised jointly by Sarawak and Sabah Shipowners Association (SSSA) and ReCAAP, held at a prominent hotel here on Wednesday (Aug 6).
Kwon further stated that during the period, seven incidents involving tugs and barges were reported in the SOMS area compared to four cases recorded during the corresponding period last year.
He commented that it is of concern if this trend persists.
Touching on ReCAAP, he explained that it is the first and only regional government-to-government agreement focused on combating piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia.
“The ReCAAP’s mandate is combating piracy and armed robbery against ship in Asia, and we conduct our activities through three main pillars— information sharing, capacity building, and cooperative arrangements.
“We regularly engage with partners like SSSA and other shipping associations as well as government agencies. By working together, we aim to reach out to shipowners, masters and crews as well as law enforcement agencies to find ways to prevent sea robbery and related crimes,” Kwon added.
Meanwhile, SSSA Chairman, Yong Ing Huong who also spoke, said maritime robbery and armed attacks have long posed serious challenges to regional shipping, especially in Southeast Asian waters, where heavy maritime traffic and complex geography provide opportunities for criminal activities.
He stressed that to ensure the safety of vessels and crew, countries in the region must continue to strengthen cooperation without any complacency.
With the advancement of information technology, he said maritime security monitoring and intelligence sharing have become more timely and efficient.
However, he noted that illegal activities at sea still persist, underscoring the importance of the continued operation of ReCAAP and the need for transnational coordination.
He pointed out that only through close collaboration and joint efforts can effectively suppress maritime security threats and safeguard the stability and smooth passage of regional waters.
“This forum will continue to put efforts on inviting government agencies, maritime administrative bodies, private and public parties to come and share their wisdom, update experiences, to enhance capabilities and sharpen crisis management mechanism for establishing a more safe and sustainable maritime environment,” he said.
“Some may ask, why hold the forum in Sibu again after two years? The answer is, Sibu is the centre of shipping activities in the whole of Malaysia. We produce the largest number of shipowners and largest number of shipyards are located here,” he clarified.
“Besides local Sarawak coastal ships, many foreign going vessels originated from Sibu. As opportunities are always given to those who are well prepared, this forum provides an excellent platform for local shipping operators to acquire the latest ship management techniques, to explore themselves with the advance ship safety and security practices.
“This is to enable them to build a strong foundation for progression in the maritime venture,” Yong added.
Among those present were Deputy Minister of Transport, Datuk Henry Harry Jinep, Malaysia Shipowners’ Association (MASA) chairman, Mohamed Safwan Othman as well as other representatives of both abroad and local maritime organisations.
