Tugboat held for not declaring skipper change

Facebook
X
WhatsApp
Telegram
Email
The tugboat was spotted about 0.5 nautical miles northwest of Tanjung Kidurong Beach.

LET’S READ SUARA SARAWAK/ NEW SARAWAK TRIBUNE E-PAPER FOR FREE AS ​​EARLY AS 2 AM EVERY DAY. CLICK LINK

BINTULU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) here detained a tugboat and seven crew members on Saturday for failing to report a change of skipper.

MMEA Bintulu director Captain Muhammad Suffian Eldine Abdullah said the vessel was intercepted at 11:00 am during patrols under Ops Permai and Ops Tiris.

The tugboat, manned by six Indonesian men and one local man aged between 20 and 49, was spotted about 0.5 nautical miles northwest of Tanjung Kidurong Beach.

“Further inspections revealed that the crew had failed to notify the Registrar of Ships in writing regarding the change of skipper in the ship’s registration certificate.

“Both the crew members and the vessel were escorted to the MMEA Bintulu Vessel Detention Centre to be handed over to the investigating officer for further action,” he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 22(2A) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1953, which carries a compound penalty of RM2,500 upon conviction.

Suffian advised the maritime community to always comply with maritime laws and safety procedures to prevent untoward incidents at sea.

Members of the public are urged to report complaints, information, or emergencies at sea to the MMEA Bintulu Operations Centre at 086-314254 or the MMEA Sarawak Operations Centre at 082-432544.

Related News

Most Viewed Last 2 Days