Ship held up by Iran has nothing to do with M'sia - Saifuddin Abdullah

KUANTAN, Jan 2  -- The ship with 16 crew members on board held up by Iranian authorities in the Hormuz Strait on Monday, does not belong to Malaysia.

Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the Malaysian Embassy in Tehran also confirmed that none of the crew members were Malaysian citizens.

"Our embassy has received confirmation from the Iranian Foreign Ministry and all I can say is the name of the ship is the First Lady, and the flag flown was Panama's.

"A ship may be registered in Malaysia and fly the flag of another nation, but in this case, the owner is also not Malaysian... so we have nothing to do with the incident," he said.

Saifuddin said this in a press conference after presenting donations to 20 students from SK Pendidikan Khas Indera Mahkota at the Desa Indera Mahkota Library here today.

An overseas news agency had previously reported the seizure of the ship by Iran's Revolutionary Guard along with 1.3 million litres of oil believed to be smuggled illegally, about 15 nautical miles from the Abu Musa island.

Meanwhile, commenting on the death of Malaysian teenager Mohammad Farhan Fudhail Mohammad Farid while skateboarding in Australia, Saifuddin said the coroner's report was expected to be obtained today.

"I was informed that the family had decided not to have an autopsy done the corpse, but the regulations there still require a coroner's report before we can bring the body back.

"Our representatives there are trying to get the examination done as soon as possible and MASKargo has agreed to help bring back the body which may take another day or two, as the family intends to have the burial done in Kuantan," he said.

Mohamad Farhan Fudhail, 16, died after he hit a pillar while skateboarding with his friend on Saturday. He was in Australia to visit his mother, Furhzanatul Natasha Mohd Sazali, 30, who works as a nurse there.

-- BERNAMA