The seven Malaysian fishermen who were freed by the Indonesian authority today could still face action if they had indeed encroached into the Indonesian territory, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said.

NONE Anifah ( right ) said both countries took the rational approach by freeing those who were detained on Friday in the spirit of neighbourliness.

"On the issue of who is right or wrong, we will sit down and determine that. It is not something that we have to determine now. If you were to go through all the process, then these people would be detained longer," he told reporters at Putrajaya today.

In the incident on Friday, seven of 15 Malaysian fishermen who were fishing off Kota Tinggi, Johor, were detained by the Indonesian authority, accusing them of operating illegally in Indonesian waters.

The Malaysian Marine Operations Force was reported to have detained three Indonesian officers who were in the process of detaining the Malaysian fishermen

Demonstration unnecessary 

Anifah also said that border issues would be discussed at the Malaysia-Indonesia joint technical committee meeting in September.

On the demonstration in front of the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta yesterday, Anifah said it was unnecessary.

Malaysia had sent a protest note to Indonesia through the embassy, he added. "It hurts us. We are hurt. Why do the unnecessary? You don't have to do that to get the message through," he said.

NONE Earlier Anifah received the family members of Yong Vui Kong ( left ), the Malaysian who was sentenced to death in Singapore for drug trafficking.

Anifah said the government had taken a proactive step by sending a letter to the Singapore government to plead for clemency for Yong, and said that that was the only diplomatic channel the Malaysian government could take in the case.

Malaysia would nevertheless monitor the latest development of the case, he said.

Yong was arrested on June 13, 2007 and was found guilty on Jan 7 last year of trafficking 47gm of diamorphine.

- Bernama