BINTULU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) here detained a tugboat and six crew members for failing to produce stability documents last Saturday (May 2).
Bintulu MMEA director Captain Muhammad Suffian Eldine Abdullah said the vessel was intercepted about one nautical mile northwest of Kuala Kemena during enforcement patrols under Ops Tiris 4.0 and Ops Permai.
“Further checks found that the tugboat is suspected of committing an offence under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 for not having stability documents during inspections.
“The vessel was manned by six crew members comprising three Myanmar nationals, including the skipper, one Malaysian, and two Indian nationals, aged between 24 and 60.
“All crew members were detained, and the vessel was escorted to the Bintulu MMEA Vessel Detention Centre for further investigation,” he said.
Such action reflects the agency’s continued commitment to strengthening maritime law enforcement, particularly in curbing offences that could compromise the safety of national waters.
Muhammad Suffian also reminded the maritime community to comply with laws and safety procedures while operating at sea to avoid risks and legal action.
The public are urged to report any maritime crimes or emergencies to the Bintulu MMEA Operations Centre at 086-314254 or the MMEA Sarawak Operations Centre at 082-432544.
