Missing combat vessel believed to be safe - Navy Chief

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) gunship CB204 that went missing on Sunday near Pulau Mengalum, Sabah is believed to be safe, said Navy chief Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar.

In a phone interview with Astro Awani today, he remained confident that the combat vessel carrying seven officers is safe although bad weather conditions hampered search and rescue (SAR) operations.

“We are confident that the vessel is safe because it has a high buoyancy capability," said Abdul Aziz during the interview.

Six ships and three aircrafts have been deployed in the SAR operations, including the navy’s KD Lekiu, KD Paus, KD Serang and KD Ganas and a Super Lynx hellicopter.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deployed KM Mabul and KM Berani and helicopter Agusta Westland AW139 while the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) deployed its Beechcraft B200T.

Abdul Aziz also said they had received information from oil company, Petronas that a boat was detected early this morning near the company's oil rig, located about 20 nautical miles from Pulau Mengalum.

"We have sent our Super Lynx aircraft to that oil rig area to investigate," he added. The combat vessel, assigned to operate from RMN Station Five on the atoll, lost communication with the escort vessel, KD Paus during the voyage on Sunday as it headed to an RMN station on Layang-Layang atoll off Sabah.

The vessel left the RMN base in Kota Kinabalu at 5am and lost radio communication with the escort vessel at 11.15 am.

The gunship was carrying a seven-member crew namely Lieutenant Azri Bakar, Charles Christopher s/o Muni, Ince ak Evin, Steven Hudson, Nor Azuan Ariffin, Sulhajji Daah and Mohd Azhry Maani.