The Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, has officially accepted the first AW189 for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, also known as the Malaysia Coast Guard, this is the first of four ordered in a 2024 US$129 million deal.

In his speech at the ceremony, the Minister of Home Affairs said the reception of the AW189 was not just an addition to the Malaysian Maritime fleet, but reflected the Government's commitment to ensuring that the safety of the people, national sovereignty and national interests are always maintained.

"Investment in security is a strategic investment to defend sovereignty, protect the people and support the stability and prosperity of the country's economy." He said that Malaysia, as a maritime nation with a maritime zone of 556,285 square kilometres, requires rapid surveillance and response capabilities to face increasingly complex maritime security challenges.

The receipt of these four AW189s is part of the Government's ongoing efforts to modernise the Malaysian Maritime Aviation assets to remain relevant to current operational needs.

The Home Minister said that the increased capability of this asset would benefit fishermen, the maritime community, the shipping industry, the tourism sector and all users of the country's waters through increased levels of safety and response capabilities to emergencies at sea.

"Assets can be purchased, technology can be acquired, but what determines the success of an organization is the professionalism, integrity and fighting spirit of its citizens.” Said Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.