BINTULU: A tugboat operating without a mandatory anchor was detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) during a patrol off Bintulu yesterday (Jul 28).
The vessel was intercepted at around 12.15pm, some 3.1 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Kidurong, while enforcement officers were carrying out ‘Ops Permai’ and ‘Ops Tiris’ patrols.
MMEA Bintulu director Captain Muhammad Suffian Eldine Abdullah said inspections found the tugboat was allegedly operating without an anchor, an offence under Section 300 of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) 1952.
He stated that an anchor is among the mandatory safety equipment required on board a vessel.
Further checks found the tugboat was manned by eight crew members comprising two Malaysians, including the skipper, one Indonesian, two Myanmar nationals and three Indian nationals.
The tugboat and all eight crew members were detained and escorted to MMEA Bintulu Vessel Detention Centre for further investigation.
Suffian stressed that complying with maritime safety requirements is the responsibility of every vessel owner, operator and master to minimise the risk of accidents and safeguard lives at sea.
“The agency will not compromise with any vessel that fails to comply with maritime safety regulations and the country’s maritime laws.
“Enforcement efforts will continue to be intensified to ensure Malaysian waters remain safe, orderly and in compliance with established navigation standards,” he said.
He also urged the maritime community to comply with all navigation regulations and promptly report any information, complaints or maritime emergencies to MMEA Bintulu Operations Centre at 086-314254 or MMEA Sarawak Operations Centre at 082-432544 for immediate action.
