KUCHING: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has officially named its latest Offshore Patrol Vessel 1 (OPV1) as ‘KM Tun Fatimah’.
It was officiated by the Prime Minister’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail at Kuching Port today (March 2).
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said that the vessel’s namesake, Tun Fatimah, was a celebrated 16th-century Malay heroine admired for her leadership, bravery, and lifelong dedication to her people.
“It is also a tradition that ships are named after popular figures, monarchs, straits, bays, and the sea,” he told a press conference at the port.
He further stressed the critical role of the MMEA in maintaining security within national waters, highlighting the threats of piracy, smuggling, and trafficking.
“This is a big threat to national security, so the enforcement agency has the responsibility to guard the national waters,” he added.
Saifuddin also said that the 84-metre-long OPV1 has already proved its effectiveness by seizing three foreign fishing vessels with seized items valued at around RM3 million, within less than a month of operation.
Additionally, he disclosed the ongoing construction of two more OPVs, OPV2 and OPV3, at Port Klang, expected to be completed in the next eighteen months.
Also present were Home Ministry secretary-general, Datuk Ruji Ubi and MMEA director-general Admiral Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin.
The OPV1 began its operations on Jan 18 to enhance maritime surveillance as the fifth maritime vessel in the South China Sea near Sarawak and Sabah.
