Revoke licence of boat operators with poor safety practice - Dr Subramaniam

Passenger boat operators with poor safety practices should have their licences revoked.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the casualties in the boat tragedy in Tanjong Karang on Thursday was due to the passengers not wearing safety jackets.

"Many such incidents had occurred in the past due to poor safety practices...I was told they did not wear safety jackets...this matter should not be taken lightly.

"If they were wearing life jackets, the matter could have been averted," he told reporters after visiting the family of M. Kunasegaran, 57, who was reported drowned in the incident and making a personal contribution.

The boat carrying 14 people including nine family members and five crew left Sungai Kajang jetty at 3pm to perform a religious ceremony.

The boat was said to have sprang a leak and all passengers attempted to scoop out the water before it was reportedly sank while on the way back, two hours later.

Apart from Kunasegaran, the six bodies recovered were identified as A. Parianathan, 30, from Taman Aman Sekinchan, Selangor; A. Muniamah, 49; K. Logaraj, 29; M. Gnaswdree, 59; G. Jaya Sangari, 27 and G. Ravi Shankar, 25, from Sungai Buloh, Selangor.

The seven people who rescued by local fishermen were P. Alumalai, M. Sugamaran, V. Nagaswari, N. Sanmugan, C. Sabtayan, C. Sundraja and S. Partiven.