SCORPENE TO BERTH AT SEPANGGAR BAY IN JULY

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), 9 Jan (Bernama) -- One of Malaysia's two newly
acquired Scorpene submarines will arrive at the Royal Malaysian Navy's second
largest base in Sepanggar Bay in July.

RMN Region II commander First Admiral Syed Zahiruddin Putra Syed Osman said
preparations were being made to receive the submarine, KD Tun Abd Rahman.

"These include building the infrastructure and quarters for the crew and
their families," he told reporters after opening the RMN's Division II Quality
Day at the Sepanggar Bay here Friday.

Sepanggar Bay is a a major naval base for the Royal Malaysian Navy, is
situated in Sepanggar, a sub-district of capital city Kota Kinabalu in East
Malaysia Sabah state.

He said the second Scorpene, KD Tun Abdul Razak would arrive at the end of
the year.

On RMN's achievements last year, he singled out the swift intervention of a
Malaysian naval ship in rescuing a Chinese cargo vessel from being plundered by
pirates in the Aden Bay, Somalia in "Ops Fajar" last month.

"We are proud of the crew, for which our efforts had gained international
recognition," he said.

Nineteen officers and 153 men from the division received outstanding service
certificates at the function.

-- BERNAMA