Maritime Malaysia detains tug boat in Bintulu for missing anchor

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritime Malaysia) has detained a tug boat in Bintulu waters for allegedly operating without a mandatory anchor. The vessel was intercepted at approximately 4:25 p.m. last Friday, roughly 2.6 nautical miles northwest of Kuala Kemena, during enforcement operations known as Op PERMAI 01/2019 and Op TIRIS 4.0.

Bintulu Zone Maritime Director Captain Muhammad Suffian Eldine Abdullah stated that the inspection suggested a violation of Section 300 of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) 1952, which requires vessels to be equipped with prescribed safety equipment.

The tug was found to have eight crew members on board, consisting of four local nationals and four Indonesian nationals, including the vessel’s skipper. Both the tug and the crew have been detained at the Bintulu Maritime Zone Vessel Detention Centre and handed over to an investigation officer for further legal action. Authorities emphasized that vessel owners and operators are responsible for complying with maritime safety regulations to reduce the risk of accidents at sea.