MIRI: A tugboat was detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Miri Maritime Zone at about 3.4 nautical miles southwest of Kuala Baram, here on Wednesday (April 14).
Its director Maritime Captain Md Fauzi Othman in a statement today (April 15) said the tugboat was detained by MMEA while carrying out Op Permai in Miri waters.
He said inspections found that the boat failed to submit any documents and had an expired Domestic Ship License (DSL).
“The ship was manned by five Indonesian crew members, aged between 26 and 49 years old and have valid employment documents and passports,” he said.
Md Fauzi said all crew and ships were detained and escorted to the Miri anchor area for further investigation.
“The case will be investigated under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 due to expired DSL,” he explained.
He also urged the maritime community to always abide by the laws that have been set and prioritise safety when at sea by always wearing a safety jacket.
The public is advised to contact the Miri Maritime Zone Operations Centre for complaints, feedback and emergencies at sea at 085-418204 or the Sarawak Maritime Operations Centre at 082-432544 or MERS 999 which operates 24 hours.
