KOTA TINGGI – The Defence Ministry will inspect over a dozen of its navy ships that are over 40 years old, following the sinking of KD Pendekar after suffering a leak yesterday.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has about 10 to 15 ships that are over four decades old.
However, in the case of KD Pendekar, he said old age may not be one of the causes of its leak and subsequent sinking.
“We do not deny that some of our ships are old, but that may not be one of the reasons. The cause (of KD Pendekar’s sinking) is as stated, that is, it hit an underwater object, and this matter is being investigated.
“We are grateful that it (the incident) did not involve any casualties,” Bernama reported Khaled saying to the media after an event in Sedili, Johor, today.
KD Pendekar began operating in 1979, which makes it nearly 50 years old, Khaled also said.
He added that the ministry is awaiting a full report on the KD Pendekar incident.
Yesterday, the RMN in a statement said the gunboat’s hull hit an underwater object at around noon, two nautical miles south-east of Tg Penyusop in Johor.
The engine room then started taking on water before the vessel sank at 3.54pm.
All 39 crew on board were safely evacuated.
The RMN said it was working to salvage the sunken vessel.
On new navy vessels, Khaled said the government will ensure that the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) project is completed according to schedule, in addition to the purchase of a new vessel from Turkiye.
There are a total of five LCS vessels under construction, with the first to be operable in 2026, he said. – August 26, 2024