MISC TANKER CREW UNDER WATCHFUL EYES OF AT LEAST TEN ARMED PIRATES

JOHOR BAHARU (Malaysia), Sept 8 (BERNAMA) -- A crew of Malaysia's MISC tanker Bunga Melati Lima, seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Aug 29, said they are always being watched by at least ten armed pirates.

Rizal Shah Abdul Jabar, 30, told his mother Fuziah Salleh, 50, this in a
short telephone conversation on Sept 4.

"Rizal told me at least ten armed pirates take turns to keep a close watch
on them. He urged that negotiations to free the crew be speeded up as food
supply is running low," she told Bernama at her home here Mondaty.

Fuziah said Rizal was one of four Bunga Melati Lima crew allowed by the
pirates to communicate with family members.

Rizal was one of the 42 Bunga Melati Lima crew comprising 34 Malaysians,
seven Filipinos and one Pakistani detained after pirates seized the tanker off
Somalia.

The other MISC tanker the Bunga Melati Dua was seized by pirates on Aug 19.
It had a crew of 39 comprising 29 Malaysians, nine Filipinos and one
Pakistani.

Fuziah said Rizal told her that the pirates also seized all mobile phones
and laptop computers from the crew.

The mother of four said she had been looking forward to the coming
Aidilfitri (Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr) as Rizal would be celebrating with
the family for the first time in his six years with MISC.

A bachelor, Rizal joined MISC in March 2002 soon after graduating from the
Malaysian Maritime Academy (ALAM).

His father Abdul Jabar Abdul Hadi said he was against a military operation
to free the crew as it would jeopardise their safety.

The government had dispatched three naval vessels with a crack commando
squad to the Gulf of Aden aimed at protecting Malaysian vessels plying the
route.

The naval vessels dispatched were the frigate KD Lekiu, new generation
patrol craft KD Pahang and the KD Sri Inderapura as back-up.