MMEA launches SAR for missing ship engineer

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 26 -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has mobilised a Search and Rescue (SAR) to look for the engineer of the tanker MV Mariwit who is reported missing since two days ago.

Putrajaya MMEA Search and Rescue and Disaster Relief Division, director First Admiral (M) Mohd Zawawi Abdullah said the victim, Jin Ying Lai, 49, was last met in the engine room when the ship was 3.7 nautical miles north west of Butterworth, Penang after leaving the Penang Harbour.

Jin, a Chinese national, was confirmed missing by a colleague at 5.30 pm on Nov 24 at 40 nautical miles west of Pulau Ketam, Selangor and heading to Kemaman, Terengganu, he said.

MMEA, he said in statement today, through the Maritime Rescue Command Centre (MRCC) received an emergency signal from MV Mariwit, which was registered in Panama, at 10.24 pm and the SAR was activated at 11.30 pm.

‘’MRCC had directed the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) Langkawi to help co-ordinate the SAR in the waters of Penang and Perak while the Johor Bharu MRSC co-ordinates the search in the Selangor waters,’’ he said.

Mohd Zawawi said MMEA had also mobilised an AS 365 N3 Dauphin helicopter from the Subang Maritime Air Station, a ship, KM Marlin, from the Perak Maritime, Bot Kilat 26 from the Penang Maritime and Bot Kilat 15 and Bot Petir 90 from the Selangor Maritime.

Other than the MMEA assets, also involved in the search were Bot PSC 46 from the Marine Police Force in Batu Uban, Penang and KD Tun Abdul Jamil from the Royal Malaysian Navy, he said.

With the wide search sector encompassing 679 nautical square miles starting from the Penang waters to the waters of Selangor, MMEA also sent notifications to all ships passing through the waters concerned to inform the agency if they had information to help in the search and rescue, he said.

‘’To date, the SAR has not found any sign and it was still on, and the operation has entered the second day,’’ he said.

For any related information, members of the public could contact the emergency line MERS 999 or Malaysian Maritime Operations Centre (POMAR) at 03-89954001.

-- BERNAMA