Govt expands Sabah sea surveillance system to plug maritime monitoring gaps

Phase Two of the Sabah Sea Surveillance System, or SWASLA, will expand coverage to Malawali Island and Sandakan. The government approved the project under the First Rolling Plan of the 13th Malaysia Plan for 2026. Its main purpose is to strengthen maritime surveillance and address uncovered areas in Malaysian waters.

The expansion adds surveillance capability in two locations off Sabah. It forms part of a wider effort to move beyond limited radar coverage. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, or MMEA, currently operates SWASLA radar stations, but patrol vessels still cover areas outside their reach.

The tender process is expected to begin by year-end. The move could give authorities earlier information about activity near Malawali Island and Sandakan. It will also support the government’s broader plan to combine radar, unmanned aerial vehicles, modern vessels and better operational information.

SWASLA is the Sabah Sea Surveillance System operated by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. It uses Remote Sensored Site, or RSS, radar stations to provide continuous surveillance in their respective coverage areas. The system matters because maritime authorities need early information about activity at sea.

An RSS radar station operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its radar supports monitoring within a defined area. The article does not describe every technical feature of the stations, but it makes clear that they provide ongoing surveillance rather than occasional checks.

The stations do not watch every part of Malaysian waters. MMEA therefore deploys ships and boats beyond the system’s coverage. The government is expanding SWASLA, adding UAVs, modernising assets and improving information integration to create a stronger early-detection and response network.

The current SWASLA network has 15 MMEA Remote Sensored Site radar stations. Twelve are positioned along the Strait of Melaka, while three operate off Sabah’s west coast. All stations run continuously, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, within their respective coverage areas.

This arrangement gives authorities persistent monitoring in selected maritime zones. However, radar coverage is not the same as complete national coverage. A station can continuously observe its own area, but waters outside that area remain beyond the system’s direct reach. MMEA uses ships and boats to patrol those areas.

The government approved further expansion to Malawali Island and Sandakan. It has also approved or proposed studies for Sarawak and the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. These steps show that incomplete coverage remains a central capability gap, alongside the need for more aerial and long-range assets.

Expanding SWASLA to Malawali Island and Sandakan could strengthen surveillance in those parts of Sabah. The project matters because the existing radar network does not provide complete coverage of Malaysian waters. Better coverage supports the government’s shift from simply acting after an incident to detecting and identifying targets earlier.

The practical example is the addition of two new locations under Phase Two. Existing RSS stations monitor their assigned areas continuously, while MMEA sends ships and boats into waters beyond the radar network. Extending the system would give authorities more fixed surveillance coverage before patrol assets are dispatched.

The expansion is not a complete solution by itself. MMEA still identifies needs for UAVs, aerial assets, long-range vessels, high-speed interception craft and a C4ISR system. Together, these capabilities could improve monitoring, target identification and rapid response across wider maritime areas.

Continuous radar monitoring provides a steady watch, but it does not create complete surveillance coverage. The 15 existing RSS stations operate nonstop only within their respective areas. Malaysian waters beyond those areas still require other tools and patrol assets. This matters because maritime threats can occur far from fixed stations.

MMEA therefore combines radar with ships and boats, UAVs, and other aerial assets. Satellites also support some operations, although MMEA currently uses existing satellite technology mainly for search and rescue. Patrol vessels can reach areas outside radar coverage, while high-speed assets support interception after a target is identified.

The government is moving toward early detection, target identification and rapid response. It plans two UAV-equipped vessels and seeks more long-range vessels, high-speed interception assets and a C4ISR system. These layers make surveillance more flexible and connect information with action.

MMEA’s approach treats smuggling as a connected network rather than a single seizure event. The government says enforcement effectiveness should not be measured only by how many cases are detected or how much contraband is seized. The larger aim is to dismantle the people, logistics and support systems behind the activity.

The mechanism is a sequence of linked actions. Detection identifies suspected activity. Investigation builds the case. Seizures remove goods or assets. Prosecution brings cases before the law. Intelligence sharing connects information across operations. Authorities also target logistics networks and people supporting smuggling.

MMEA recorded 834 smuggling cases involving seizures worth RM257.55 million from 2020 to August this year. Those figures show enforcement activity, but the stated strategy goes further. Better surveillance, information integration and stronger response assets could help authorities identify networks earlier and pursue them through the full enforcement chain.

C4ISR is the combined system of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. In maritime security, it matters because seeing a possible target is only the first step. Authorities also need to assess information, direct units, communicate orders and coordinate action.

For example, radar or a UAV may provide an initial sighting. Intelligence and reconnaissance help build the operational picture. Command and control then guide ships, boats or aircraft. Communications carry information and instructions between those units. Computers support the integration and handling of operational information across the system.

The article lists C4ISR as one of MMEA’s remaining capability gaps. It also describes a shift toward early detection, target identification and rapid response. A stronger C4ISR capability would support that approach by linking surveillance information with decisions and field operations, although the article does not provide a specific acquisition timeline.