ID :
36332
Thu, 12/18/2008 - 19:36
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/36332
The shortlink copeid
M'SIA YET TO RECEIVE REPORT ON TUG BOAT SEIZURE BY SOMALI PIRATES
PUTRAJAYA, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- Confirming the pirate hijack of a Malaysian tug boat off Yemen Tuesday, the National Security Council is now awaiting the latest development on the incident.
Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim said the council had not received any
report on the hijack and was worried over the fate of the crew.
He said Malaysia had reported the hijack to the United Nations and pressed
the need for drastic measures to be taken against Somali pirates in the Aden
Bay.
"The council is expecting a report either tonight or tomorrow morning," he
told reporters after attending the ministry's Excellent Service Awards here
Wednesday.
AFP reported that pirates had hijacked a Malaysian tug boat and a Turkish
cargo ship Tuesday, and attacked three other vessels in the Gulf of Aden in
the past week.
The tug boat with 11 crew on board was heading to Malaysia from
West
Asia.
In three other incidents last week, Somali pirates attempted to hijack a
Singapore tanker, an Italian cargo ship and a Greek ship.
Meanwhile, Rais described the United Nations Security Council resolution to
combat piracy as "powerless".
"Merely announcing it is of no use, it must be followed up with physical
force," he said.
In LUMUT, Acting Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Vice-Admiral Mohammed
Noordin Ali said that next February, the RMN would cease ongoing 'Ops Fajar'
operations to protect the country's commercial vessels from pirate threats in
the Gulf of Aden near Somalia.
He said the decision was also agreed upon by Army chief Gen Abdul Aziz
Zainal.
Mohammed Noordin said any decision to resume operations would depend on
the prime minister, defence minister and the National Security Council.
He said the decision to stop the operations was mainly due to its
exorbitant
costs and RMN obliogations to protect the sovereignity of the national waters.
Mohammed Noordin said this after receiving RMN vessel 'KD Mahawangsa' which
had returned from Ops Fajar at the RMN Lumut base Wednesday.
Another RMN vessel, 'KD Indera Sakti', is expected to conclude the operation
in February.
'Ops Fajar' was launched after Malaysian International Shipping Corporation
(MISC) vessel MT Bunga Melati Dua was hijacked by Somalian pirates in the Gulf
of Aden while heading to Rotterdam from Dumai, Indonesia on Aug 19.
Ten days later, another MISC vessel, MT Bunga Melati Lima, with 36 crewmen,
was also hijacked while crossing the same waters.
Meanwhile, a Wisma Putra source identified the two ships as those of the AMD
1 cargo ship and Masindra 7 tugboat.
The source said that a National Security Division meeting was held at 2.30pm
today to discuss the matter.
No Malaysians were involved in the incident as the crew members of both
vessels were Indonesians, he said.
Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim said the council had not received any
report on the hijack and was worried over the fate of the crew.
He said Malaysia had reported the hijack to the United Nations and pressed
the need for drastic measures to be taken against Somali pirates in the Aden
Bay.
"The council is expecting a report either tonight or tomorrow morning," he
told reporters after attending the ministry's Excellent Service Awards here
Wednesday.
AFP reported that pirates had hijacked a Malaysian tug boat and a Turkish
cargo ship Tuesday, and attacked three other vessels in the Gulf of Aden in
the past week.
The tug boat with 11 crew on board was heading to Malaysia from
West
Asia.
In three other incidents last week, Somali pirates attempted to hijack a
Singapore tanker, an Italian cargo ship and a Greek ship.
Meanwhile, Rais described the United Nations Security Council resolution to
combat piracy as "powerless".
"Merely announcing it is of no use, it must be followed up with physical
force," he said.
In LUMUT, Acting Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Vice-Admiral Mohammed
Noordin Ali said that next February, the RMN would cease ongoing 'Ops Fajar'
operations to protect the country's commercial vessels from pirate threats in
the Gulf of Aden near Somalia.
He said the decision was also agreed upon by Army chief Gen Abdul Aziz
Zainal.
Mohammed Noordin said any decision to resume operations would depend on
the prime minister, defence minister and the National Security Council.
He said the decision to stop the operations was mainly due to its
exorbitant
costs and RMN obliogations to protect the sovereignity of the national waters.
Mohammed Noordin said this after receiving RMN vessel 'KD Mahawangsa' which
had returned from Ops Fajar at the RMN Lumut base Wednesday.
Another RMN vessel, 'KD Indera Sakti', is expected to conclude the operation
in February.
'Ops Fajar' was launched after Malaysian International Shipping Corporation
(MISC) vessel MT Bunga Melati Dua was hijacked by Somalian pirates in the Gulf
of Aden while heading to Rotterdam from Dumai, Indonesia on Aug 19.
Ten days later, another MISC vessel, MT Bunga Melati Lima, with 36 crewmen,
was also hijacked while crossing the same waters.
Meanwhile, a Wisma Putra source identified the two ships as those of the AMD
1 cargo ship and Masindra 7 tugboat.
The source said that a National Security Division meeting was held at 2.30pm
today to discuss the matter.
No Malaysians were involved in the incident as the crew members of both
vessels were Indonesians, he said.
