Malaysian-registered cargo vessel missing in Indonesian waters

Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said his team, through the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Johor Bahru, received information regarding this incident from the Langkawi MRSC at 5.13 pm yesterday.

He said the information was received after a police report was lodged by the ship's agent at 12.22 pm yesterday.

Nurul Hizam said the agent claimed that the cargo ship, operated by three Malaysians and two Indonesians, aged 20 to 57, had left the jetty in Kampung Aceh, Perak, on Dec 23, and was scheduled to arrive in Kuching, Sarawak, on Dec 31.

"The vessel's last location, detected through the Automatic Identification System (AIS) on Jan 1, was in Indonesian waters, 0.2 nautical miles from the boundary of Johor waters.

"However, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), believed to be from the cargo ship, was detected at 10.42 pm at a position 30 nautical miles northwest of Pemankat, Indonesia," he said at a press conference at the Johor Maritime headquarters here today.

He added that the emergency signal was detected by the Malaysia Mission Control Centre (MYMCC) and Singapore's Police Operations Command Centre (POCC).

According to him, the cargo ship was ferrying 527 pipes, valued at RM726,205.

He also called on the maritime community who has information on the incident to contact the state Maritime Operations Centre at 07-219 9401.