MMEA gets offshore patrol vessel after 3-year delay
Published on: Wednesday, January 03, 2024
By: FMT
OPV 1 can accommodate 70 crew members and operate at sea for 21 days without being replenished. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: TH Heavy Engineering Bhd yesterday handed over the first of three offshore patrol vessels to the home ministry after a three-year hold-up caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and delays in importing the latest technical equipment for the ship.
Home ministry secretary-general Ruji Ubi said the 83m-long, 13.7m-wide OPV 1 would be used by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for enforcement and search operations.
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The completion date for the other two vessels – OPV 2 and OPV 3 – have yet to be announced.
MMEA was supposed to have received the OPVs in 2020, and the delay in delivery prompted an investigation by the Public Accounts Committee in September 2022.
A statement on the home ministry’s Facebook page said OPV 1 could operate at sea for 21 days without being replenished and withstand rough seas up to “Force 7”, during which wind speeds can reach 33 knots and waves can reach 5.5m.
It also has the capacity to accommodate 70 crew members and can reach a speed of 21 knots. It is equipped with facilities such as a helicopter landing pad and detention room, as well as advanced equipment like unmanned aerial vehicles, inflatable boats and fast interceptor crafts.
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It is capable of performing humanitarian and disaster relief missions, acting as a logistics ship, and serving as a storage facility for oil pollution control equipment.
The home ministry said it hoped OPV 1 would enhance and strengthen the enforcement of maritime laws, and ensure the security of the country’s maritime zone.
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The finance ministry injected RM152.6 million into OPV 1 last year to ensure that it would be completed by 2023. The ministry took over the OPV project from Tabung Haji subsidiary Destini Sdn Bhd after it was found to be facing major problems.
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