Malaysia Signs LOA to Receive Former U.S. Coast Guard Ship

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is set to acquire a former U.S. Coast Guard cutter following the signing of a letter of acceptance by the Home Ministry's secretary-general today.

Secretary-General Datuk Haji Ruji bin Haji Ubi signed the letter of acceptance for the vessel. The name and delivery date of the cutter have not been disclosed, though it is speculated to be the cutter Decisive, which was decommissioned last year.

Decisive was one of the Coast Guard’s 14 remaining 210-foot, Reliance-class medium endurance cutters designed for search and rescue, drug and migrant interdiction. As part of the Coast Guard’s acquisition program, the 360-foot Heritage-class offshore patrol cutters will replace the U.S. Coast Guard’s 270-foot and 210-foot medium endurance cutters.

In addition to the letter of acceptance, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Malaysia and the United States, focusing on cooperation against transnational crimes. The MOU was signed by Secretary-General Ruji Ubi and U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan, with Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail witnessing the event.