LABUAN: A tugboat was detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) after it was found acting suspiciously during Ops Sejahtera 1/2022 and Tiris 3.0 off the waters of Sipitang on Sunday.
The vessel was detected by patrol boat Bot Penggalang 24 at about 1.50pm as it was heading towards the Petronas Chemical Fertiliser Sabah jetty in Sipitang.
According to MMEA, officers proceeded to intercept the blue tugboat before conducting a detailed inspection on board.
Checks revealed several suspected offences under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, raising concerns over the vessel’s safety and compliance with maritime regulations.
Among the violations were incomplete vessel documentation, operating without a chief engineer, absence of insurance coverage, no crew agreements and an officer’s logbook that was not updated.
The tugboat also failed to display a valid certificate from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which is required for maritime communications equipment.
Following the inspection, the vessel was escorted to the Labuan MMEA jetty for further action.
Labuan Maritime Zone Director, Maritime Captain Izwanhadi Idros, said strict enforcement is vital to maintain maritime safety and uphold the law, especially in high-risk industrial and trading waters.
He urged the public to report any suspicious activity at sea via the 999 emergency hotline or the Labuan MMEA operations centre at 087-427999.
