A MASALA navy warship sank off the coast of Johor on Sunday (Aug. 25), with Malaysian authorities deploying a fleet to salvage the 45-year-old vessel after it hit an unknown underwater object.
The Navy said the leak was first detected in the engine room of the KD Pendekar. Water quickly flooded the vessel.
The crew failed to repair the hole, and the 260-ton vessel sank hours later off the coast of southern Johor state.
“All 39 crew members were evacuated safely, without injury,” he said in a statement. “The leak is believed to have been caused by the ship hitting an underwater object,” he said.
He added that rescue operations were underway. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the incident.
Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin ordered an inspection of the navy ship. The KD Pendekar, built by Karlskrona Varvet Shipyard in Sweden, was commissioned into the Malaysian fleet in 1979.
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KD Pendekar is a Swedish-made fast warship. The 43.6-meter long ship has been operated by the Malaysian Navy since July 1979.
“We do not deny that (some of) our ships are old but that does not seem to be the cause and the most important thing is that fortunately no lives were lost,” Khaled was quoted as saying by Malay, the Harian Metro newspaper.
Khaled said the modernization of the fleet is underway, which involves the construction of a littoral combat ship, the first of which will be commissioned in 2026. The ministry is also negotiating to purchase a littoral mission ship from Turkey. (Navalnews/Z-2)
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