MISC Bhd, in collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Navy and the National Security Council, has converted a container ship into an auxiliary vessel to escort and protect its ships sailing through the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia.
This follows last year’s hijacking of two MISC ships — Bunga Melati Dua and Bunga Melati 5 — in the Gulf. MISC, RMN and NSC had joined forces then in resolving the two incidents.
In a statement issued yesterday, MISC said the conversion work was carried out by its heavy engineering arm Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd (MMHE) at the latter's yard in Pasir Gudang, Johor.
Dubbed Bunga Mas Lima, the 699-TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) ship is the first Malaysian merchant ship to be converted into an auxiliary vessel for RMN.
A ceremony to commemorate the successful conversion of the ship was held in Pasir Gudang yesterday, attended by Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad, Chief of Navy Admiral Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Jaafar and MISC president and chief executive officer Amir Hamzah Azizan.
Since last year’s hijack incident, RMN had launched Op Fajar, a rescue, escort and protection mission, with the aim of ensuring the safe passage of all MISC vessels in the Gulf of Aden.
The navy has deployed five ships in support of that mission. But with Bunga Mas Lima, one of the five ships currently stationed in the Gulf of Aden will return to Malaysia in June 2009.
The RMN auxiliary vessel will be manned by MISC’s personnel who had completed a training programme with RMN. The MISC crew, now with the roles as navy reservists, will be responsible for the navigation and maintenance of the vessel.
Regular officers and men of RMN will also be onboard the vessel to carry out all security related operations.
According to international law, an auxiliary ship is a ship other than a warship, which is owned or under the control of the military. It is operated by the government and thus, the ship is accorded sovereign immunity.
This follows last year’s hijacking of two MISC ships — Bunga Melati Dua and Bunga Melati 5 — in the Gulf. MISC, RMN and NSC had joined forces then in resolving the two incidents.
In a statement issued yesterday, MISC said the conversion work was carried out by its heavy engineering arm Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd (MMHE) at the latter's yard in Pasir Gudang, Johor.
Dubbed Bunga Mas Lima, the 699-TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) ship is the first Malaysian merchant ship to be converted into an auxiliary vessel for RMN.
A ceremony to commemorate the successful conversion of the ship was held in Pasir Gudang yesterday, attended by Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad, Chief of Navy Admiral Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Jaafar and MISC president and chief executive officer Amir Hamzah Azizan.
Since last year’s hijack incident, RMN had launched Op Fajar, a rescue, escort and protection mission, with the aim of ensuring the safe passage of all MISC vessels in the Gulf of Aden.
The navy has deployed five ships in support of that mission. But with Bunga Mas Lima, one of the five ships currently stationed in the Gulf of Aden will return to Malaysia in June 2009.
The RMN auxiliary vessel will be manned by MISC’s personnel who had completed a training programme with RMN. The MISC crew, now with the roles as navy reservists, will be responsible for the navigation and maintenance of the vessel.
Regular officers and men of RMN will also be onboard the vessel to carry out all security related operations.
According to international law, an auxiliary ship is a ship other than a warship, which is owned or under the control of the military. It is operated by the government and thus, the ship is accorded sovereign immunity.