Tugboat, crew detained in Bintulu for violating shipping regulations
BINTULU (May 12): The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Bintulu Maritime Zone detained a tugboat on Saturday, approximately three nautical miles northwest of the Kemena River estuary for violating shipping regulations.
Bintulu Maritime Zone director Capt Muhammad Suffian Eldine Abdullah said the white tugboat was intercepted by an MMEA patrol vessel during routine patrols as it was heading towards open water.
'A preliminary inspection revealed that the vessel was operated by a crew of eight – six Indonesian nationals including the captain, one Myanmar national, and one Malaysian – aged between 23 and 51 years,' he said in a statement.
He said the tugboat was found to have violated Section 22(2A) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (MSO) 1952 for failing to notify the Registrar of Ships in writing about the change of captain in its registration certificate.
The offence carries a compound of RM2,500.
The vessel and its crew were escorted to the Bintulu Maritime Zone Vessel Detention Centre and handed over to the investigating officer for further action.
Muhammad Suffian reminded all maritime community members to comply with relevant regulations and observe maritime safety procedures to prevent and reduce the risk of untoward incidents at sea.
Any information, complaints, or emergencies at sea can be reported via the emergency line 999, or by contacting Bintulu Maritime Zone Operations Centre on 086-314254, or the Sarawak State Maritime Operations Centre on 082-432544. kemena river lead MMEA Bintulu Muhammad Suffian Eldine Abdullah
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Bullying in schools under public scrutiny again
PETALING JAYA: Bullying in Malaysian schools is once again under the spotlight after a string of high-profile cases, with some ending in serious injury and even death. A former perpetrator told theSun that his past actions stemmed largely from peer pressure and a failure to grasp the harm caused. The ex-bully, who asked to be known only as Abu, admitted that he joined in bullying more than a decade ago. The 25-year-old engineering diploma graduate, now working as a cook in Kota Bharu, said his first brush with bullying came at the age of 10, when he and classmates singled out a boy branded as 'soft' for often befriending girls. 'We hid his belongings, tore his books; petty things, but still wrong. We did it so often that he burst into tears, which got his parents and teachers involved,' recalled Abu. His behaviour stopped in early secondary school after he and several friends were reported to the discipline teacher. Reflecting on his actions, Abu said peer influence was the main driver. 'Since everyone was harassing the boy, I joined in just to blend in. Looking back, I truly regret it. If I could, I would meet him to apologise. Even if he wanted to retaliate, I would accept it as part of taking ownership of my wrongdoing,' he said. He urged today's students to think about the damage they could cause. 'It is not just a joke or a phase. What you do could scar someone for life. Put yourself in their shoes. Would you want to be treated that way?' In light of rising cases of bullying in schools, theSun spoke to education experts about whether current disciplinary methods are working and what changes are needed. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia education expert Dr Anuar Ahmad said bullying should be treated as a behavioural issue shaped over time, often by family environment. Students raised in respectful households are less likely to be aggressive whereas negative patterns at home could influence how they treat peers at school, he said. He noted that the 'soft approach', such as counselling, consistent guidance and moral reinforcement, could work if applied daily by teachers, wardens and principals. 'When soft measures fail, the education system does allow more serious disciplinary action, including regulated physical punishment within guidelines,' he said, cautioning that such punishment should remain a last resort to avoid resentment or disengagement. 'We need to build a positive school culture in which students feel valued and respected. Those with a sense of belonging are far less likely to bully others.' Universiti Teknologi Malaysia education policy expert Dr Roslizam Hassan shared similar views, preferring to call the preventive method a hikmah or wise approach, involving ongoing awareness programmes on respect, compassion and the consequences of bullying. He stressed that prevention works best before incidents occur. 'Once bullying happens, schools and authorities must investigate thoroughly and take firm action, including referring criminal cases to police. 'Parents should instil respect and empathy at home from an early age, and teach children to accept differences among peers to reduce prejudice and verbal harassment that could escalate into physical bullying,' he said. Both experts agreed that rehabilitation is possible in non-severe cases through targeted counselling, structured school programmes and community activities that foster empathy and social responsibility.
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Three men sentenced to death over meth trafficking
JOHOR BARU: Three drug traffickers are facing the gallows after being found guilty of dealing nearly 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine. High Court judge Justice Abu Bakar Katar handed down the sentence on Pang Ming Siong, 54, Cheng Foot Leong, 46, and Tok Chun Whei, 41, after ruling that the prosecution had proven the amended charge against them beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge found the three guilty of trafficking in 1,483,962.98g of methamphetamine. 'The court finds that the prosecution has proven beyond reasonable doubt that all the accused, with common intent, committed the offence as stated in the amended charge. 'The court therefore finds all the accused guilty and convicts them accordingly,' he said when delivering his decision here yesterday. The accused persons committed the offence at Lot 1162, Kolam Ikan JTM 68 along Jalan Tanah Merah in Taman Desa Cemerlang here at 7.30am on March 19, 2019. The charge was framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act. In an unrelated case, a Singapore-based company director pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to four charges of cheating three Singaporeans and a Malaysian of RM155,000 in a company investment scheme a decade ago. Chong Kok Ming, 54, a Singapore permanent resident, is jointly accused with a Singaporean man still at large of deceiving Lim Swee Chong, Lim Swee Joo, Ho Sang Bin and Puah Kot Choon into depositing money into the account of a Malaysian-registered company. According to the charges, the accused allegedly made false promises, inducing the victims to believe they would be registered as shareholders in a local company and entitled to annual dividends. The alleged offences took place at a bank in Jalan Cengal, Taman Makmur, Batu Pahat, on Oct 15, 2014. He was charged under Section 417 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34, which carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction. Sessions judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail then set bail at RM20,000 in total for all charges, with one surety, and fixed Sept 17 for case mention. Chong posted bail.
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Child crushed by speaker in freak accident
Compiled by SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI, and R. ARAVINTHAN A LARGE speaker set up for a temple festival fell on a six-year-old girl, crushing her to death in a freak accident in India. The speakers were apparently set up by the girl's father outside their house to blast devotional songs during the festival held in Ramanathapuram city, Tamil Nadu, Makkal Osai reported. The girl, who was identified only as Sugavathi, was playing near the speaker stack and had untied the safety ropes holding them in place. The tragedy has left the townsfolk devastated. > The daily also reported that a book of poems by Malaysian poet Tamilselvam Kaathamuthu has been launched in Kuala Lumpur. Titled Puthiya Olaichuvadi, Tamilselvam said he was already working on his next book. Olaichuvadi refers to a type of palm leaf paper used in India. It also colloquially refers to the practice of olaichuvadi astrology where verses of wisdom written on supposedly ancient books of olaichuvadi are used in a manner similar to tarot readings. (The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
