Malaysian Maritime agency detains 4 ships, including 2 Singapore-registered vessels

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency detained four foreign ships for illegally anchoring in the eastern Johor waters from May 13-18. PHOTOS: THE MALAYSIAN MARITIME ENFORCEMENT AGENCY

KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said it has detained four ships, including two Singapore-registered vessels, for anchoring illegally in eastern Johor waters in the past one week.

Since the beginning of the year, 28 vessels, including these four vessels, have been seized for illegally anchoring in Malaysian waters.

Tanjung Sedili Maritime Zone MMEA deputy director commander Mohd Najib Sam said on Saturday that a Singapore-registered ship, a liquified petroleum gas (LPG) vessel, was seized on May 13 at 17.7 nautical miles east of Tanjung Sedili Besar in Kota Tinggi district.

Two days later on May 15, another Singaporean-registered tanker was detained at 13.2 nautical miles east of Tanjung Siang, a cape in Kota Tinggi, he added in a press release issued by MMEA.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has confirmed with the companies concerned that two Singapore-registered vessels were detained.

“MPA is in the process of verifying the facts and basis of the detentions, and the claims reported in the media,” an MPA spokesman told The Straits Times on May 22.

The remaining two ships were an Indonesian-registered tanker seized on May 17 and a transporter ship – registered in Monrovia in Liberia – detained on May 18, said MMEA.

The Indonesian-registered vessel was detained at 12.8 nautical miles north-east of Tanjung Balau, a beach town in Kota Tinggi, while the Monrovia-registered ship was seized for anchoring without permit at 30.5 nautical miles east of Tanjung Sedili Kechil in Kota Tinggi district.

Mr Mohd Najib said that, when inspected by MMEA, the four vessels’ captains failed to produce permits that will allow them to anchor in Malaysian waters.

This is an offence under Section 491B(1)(L) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, he added.

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