Missing MV Sah Lian found, crew safe

The MV Sah Lian, which had been reported missing in the South China Sea since Sept 7, has been found.

Sarawak Region enforcement chief Maritime First Admiral Ismaili Bujang Pit said, the cargo ship was located at around 4pm Thursday approximately 30 nautical miles from Miri.

“The ship, which was reported to have experienced a break down, was spotted by a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) vessel, KM Mersuji, and all its crew members are reported to be safe,” he said when contacted by Astro AWANI here today.

Ismaili had previously said, the MV Sah Lian was spotted by another cargo ship around 23 nautical miles from Miri at 5pm on Wednesday.

The MMEA then rushed to the location where the ship was said to have been found but to no avail as it was believed to have drifted away by strong currents.

In total, four MMEA ships and seven boats were deployed in the search for the cargo ship, assisted by a C-130 aircraft from the Royal Malaysian Air Force based in Labuan.

The Malaysian-registered MV Sah Lian, owned by Kian Lian Shipping Sdn Bhd, had departed from Kuching on Sept 2 and was scheduled to arrive in Limbang four days later.

It was reported missing in the South China Sea on Saturday, Sept 7.

The ship is captained by an Indonesian with 13 crew members consisting of two Indonesians, five Myanmar nationals, four Indians and three locals.

The ship is said to be carrying some 500 tonnes of mixed cargo worth RM2.5 million.