BINTULU: A tugboat was detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Wednesday (Jul 2) for failing to to comply with licensing conditions.
The vessel was detained 0.38 nautical miles southwest of Batu Kura-Kura at around 2 pm during a routine patrol off the coast here under the Ops Tiris 3.0 and Ops Permai 01/2019.
Bintulu Maritime Zone director Captain Muhammad Suffian Eldine Abdullah said initial checks found eight crew members on board, including an Indonesian skipper, aged between 23 and 48.
“The tugboat is suspected of committing an offence under Section 22(2A) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) 1952 for failing to notify the Ship Registrar in writing regarding a change of skipper in the vessel’s registration certificate.
“The offence carries a compound fine of RM2,500,” he said in a statement yesterday.
The vessel and its crew were later escorted to the Bintulu Maritime Zone Vessel Detention Centre and handed over to a maritime investigating officer for further action.
Maritime Malaysia has since reminded all maritime communities to comply with existing laws, regulations and safety procedures at sea to prevent unwanted incidents.
Meanwhile, the public is urged to report any maritime emergencies, complaints, or information via the emergency line 999, the Bintulu Maritime Operations Centre at 086-314254, or the Sarawak State Maritime Operations Centre at 082-432544.
