08 November 2014

MMEA : 2 Australian Patrol Boats for Straits of Malacca

08 November 2014


Bay Class boat (photo : ACS)

KUANTAN: Two used patrol boats, to be handed over by the Australian Government to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in March, will be stationed in the Straits of Malacca to detect human trafficking.

MMEA director-general Maritime Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish said currently, MMEA personnel set to take positions on board the boats were preparing to undergo training before sailing them home next year.

“The ‘Bay Class’ boats are expected to arrive latest by March, before the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition takes place, as they are also taking part in the exhibition,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after attending a passing-out parade at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Maritime Academy here today.

Meanwhile, Mohd Amdan said six, 43-metre long patrol ships worth RM385 million were being built at a local dockyard and expected to be ready by early 2017, to strengthen MMEA’s operations

He said the six patrol ships were replacement for six of MMEA’s 30 ships which would be decommissioned in stages until 2022.

On the YTC M5 tug boat which sank after colliding with a merchant ship, about 16.5km from Tanjung Gelang on Oct 30, Mohd Amdan said MMEA was waiting for the boat to be floated before continuing the search for three more crew members.

(New Straits Times)

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