The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) dispatched two members of its Mobile Cooperation Team (MCT), a special team that provides foreign coast guard agencies with capacity building on maritime safety and security, together with a professor of the Japan Coast Guard Academy (JCGA), to the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) from March 12^th to 18^th, 2023, for a Mass Rescue Operation (MRO) workshop and case method. This dispatch was under the framework of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The workshop mainly focused on introducing the search and rescue systems of both the JCG and MMEA, with an explanation of the outline of MRO by a professor of the JCGA, and a case method to discuss cases of assumed search and rescue in groups. We deepened mutual understanding and supported MMEA staff to improve their ability to respond to MRO.

In recent years, the MMEA has begun to develop a system and improve its capacity to respond to MRO, and there was a lively discussion on the current situation and future challenges of the MRO.

JCG will continue to work to support Maritime Security Agencies in the Indo-Pacific Region, towards the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.