Credit : Datuk Seri Saifuddin's X
KUALA LUMPUR, October 27, 2026 – Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has paid tribute to a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) intelligence officer who died while on duty during a border monitoring and control operation in the waters off Sungai Padang, Perlis, early on Tuesday.
The officer, Senior Maritime Rating (Technical) Mohd Roshaimi Mohd Ridzuan, served with the Intelligence Unit at the Kedah and Perlis Maritime Headquarters. He passed away on October 27, 2026.
In a post on his X account, Saifuddin said he had received the sad news of Mohd Roshaimi’s passing and described it as a loss deeply felt “not only by his family and loved ones, but also by the entire MMEA community, especially the comrades who served alongside him.”
“I believe that throughout his service as a member of the MMEA, the late officer gave all his energy, expertise and commitment in carrying out the responsibilities entrusted to him, in safeguarding the security and sovereignty of the nation’s waters,” the minister wrote, in remarks translated from Malay.
“Every contribution and sacrifice he made is deeply appreciated and will continue to be remembered,” he added.
Saifuddin conveyed condolences on behalf of himself and the whole Home Ministry family to Mohd Roshaimi’s relatives. “May they be granted strength, patience and fortitude in facing this very heavy loss,” he said, before offering prayers that the officer’s soul be placed among the faithful and the righteous, and closing with the Al-Fatihah.
The post was accompanied by an official memorial graphic from the Home Minister’s office bearing the officer’s portrait and his rank, name and unit.
Incident during a night operation
According to reports by Kosmo! Online and Harian Metro, the incident happened at about 12.30 a.m. while Mohd Roshaimi and three other officers were carrying out a border monitoring and control operation in the waters near Sungai Padang, close to Kangar. His three colleagues were injured.
The exact cause of the incident and the extent of the injuries suffered by the three officers had not been determined at the time of the reports. The MMEA Director-General and the agency’s personnel also expressed their condolences to the family in a statement, Kosmo! Online reported.
A family in mourning
Harian Metro reported that Mohd Roshaimi, who was in his 40s, leaves behind his wife and two children, aged 14 and 11. His eldest son told the paper he learned of his father’s death at about 3 a.m., when his mother woke him after receiving a phone call about the incident. He said the last time he saw his father was on the afternoon before, as he left home for duty.
The officer’s mother told reporters that celebrating his birthday together on September 11 had turned out to be their last cherished memory with him.
Family members and colleagues gathered at the Forensics Department of Hospital Tuanku Fauziah in Kangar while the post-mortem and preparation of the body were completed. His remains were to be taken to his hometown in Kuala Nerang, Kedah, for burial.
Guarding the nation’s waters
The MMEA, also known as Maritim Malaysia or APMM, was formed under the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency Act 2004 and comes under the Home Ministry. It is responsible for law enforcement, maritime security, and search and rescue across Malaysian waters, including the northern coastline of Kedah and Perlis near the border with Thailand.
Border monitoring operations such as the one Mohd Roshaimi was part of form a key part of that work, which Saifuddin’s tribute described as essential to protecting the security and sovereignty of the country’s waters.
Source: Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on X, with additional reporting from Kosmo! Online and Harian Metro.
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