Agriculture and Agro-based Industries minister Shabery Cheek is expected to meet with his counterpart from Indonesia to discuss the issue of Malaysian fishermen arrested for suspected illegal fishing.

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries minister Tajuddin Abdul Rahman told Malaysiakini today he believes the issue can be resolved in an amicable manner.

"As I understand, the minister (Shabery) has plans to go to Jakarta and meet with the minister there. We don't want this issue to escalate further.

"Problems like this do arise from time to time...," he said when asked for comment on the latest reported detention of Malaysian fishing vessels by Indonesian authorities near Batam on March 3.

Tajuddin was met after attending the groundbreaking ceremony for Latitud8, a transit-oriented development project for Prasarana Group that is being undertaken by Intan Sekitar Sdn Bhd, a joint venture company chaired by his daughter.

The Fisheries Department is an agency under Shabery's ministry.

The Wall Street Journal in a report last Friday quoted Indonesian Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti as saying that her ministry had, since 2014, seized and blown up 170 foreign vessels caught trespassing Indonesian waters, including from Malaysia.

Susi had taken the tough approach to reportedly fulfil President Joko Widodo’s ambition to make Indonesia’s seas a key focus of his administration.

'Efforts undertaken to secure release'

Wisma Putra, meanwhile, said that Foreign Minister Anifah Aman had personally undertaken concerted efforts to address the matter, including securing the release of the fishing boats and their crew members.

Wisma Putra in a statement earlier today, said Anifah had raised the matter with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno LP Marsudi, at the sideline of the recently concluded OIC Summit in Istanbul.

The main point of dispute, Wisma Putra noted, was whether the Malaysian vessels had ultimately trespassed into Indonesian waters at the time of arrest.

It also confirmed that relevant Malaysian agencies including the Fisheries Department, the National Security Council and the Prime Minister’s Department, have all reached out to their counterparts in Indonesia over the issue.

"Meeting with representatives of Persatuan Kebajikan Nelayan dan Peniaga-Peniaga Ikan Sekinchan, Selangor has also been held in Putrajaya (to update them)," the statement added.

Umno Sungai Besar division chief Jamal Md Yunos had yesterday urged Wisma Putra to "do more" to help the detained fishermen, claiming that families were left in the dark on their current state.

The three vessels - identified as KM SLFA 4625, KM KHF1917 and KM PKFB 1512 - were reportedly detained along with 14 crew members.

Off the 14 arrested, two are Malaysian citizens, while the rest comprise three Indonesians and nine from Myanmar.