Malaysian Peninsula News

Malaysian authorities said on Sunday they had intercepted a boat ferrying a group of 202 people believed to be ethnic Rohingya.Malaysia, which does not recognize refugee status, is a favored destination for ethnic Rohingya fleeing a military-led crackdown in Myanmar and squalid conditions at refugee camps in Bangladesh.The boat was found adrift around one nautical mile from a luxury beachside resort on the holiday island of Langkawi, off the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula, the Malaysian maritime enforcement agency said in a statement.The group included 152 men, 45 women and 5 children. All 202 have been detained at the coastguard's Kedah state headquarters.The group will be handed over to immigration authorities for attempting to enter the country illegally…

An alleged oil heist in Singapore that has already led to 20 arrests, the seizure of at least one tanker and allegations that thieves siphoned thousands of tonnes of fuel from Shell’s biggest refinery is shining a spotlight on an illegal trade worth tens of billions of dollars worldwide. Working routes in a triangle of sea anchored by Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore and encompassing the oil facilities of Malaysia, the smugglers take advantage of a difficult-to-patrol sea and enticing black market prices, experts say.

Swiber becomes first Asia operator to save costs with Enginei Fuel Management System. The Swiber Group company, Newcruz Offshore Marine Services, has become the first in the Asian market to take advantage of the cost benefits of the enginei fuel management system from Royston Limited. The system was sold by Royston’s Singapore agent, Can Traders, and was installed aboard Swiber’s new offshore support vessel, the Swiber Carina. It is being used to provide real time fuel consumption details on board and simultaneously in the head office.

Hallin Marine has commenced a large-scale inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) project off the Malaysian peninsula. The contract centers on the oil rig Cendor MOPU which is undergoing an American Bureau of Shipping UWILD underwater survey for a second year in succession. Hallin is providing saturation diving, cleaning, inspection and reporting services. "Demand for marine-support services in Malaysia is steadily increasing," said Rik Zwinkels, Managing Director, Hallin East Division.

Saab TransponderTech has been awarded a contract to supply a coastal Automatic Identification System (AIS) network for the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula and an integration of all AIS systems in the country. The contract was awarded to Saab by the Marine Department in Malaysia, and the work is being completed in collaboration with Saab’s Malaysian partner, Maicons Technology. Saab was contracted earlier to supply the AIS coastal network for the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula (Straits of Malacca) and the Sarawak installations. The contract has recently been completed and provides a fully integrated AIS-based Monitoring and Control System with complete coverage of the entire Malaysian coastline, stretching over 1,200 Nautical miles from east to west.

By Steven L Herman, Auxiliary Public Information Officer, U.S. TOKYO - For the first time, ministers responsible for transportation security have made coordinated plans to prevent future terrorist attacks. Transportation ministers from 14 countries met in Tokyo (Jan. 12-13) and announced their unanimous commitment to greater international cooperation on transportation security and, in particular, to take all possible measures to thwart terrorism targeting public transport systems. Maritime security was high on the agenda of the first Ministerial Conference on International Transport Security and of particular focus were small cargo ships, fishing vessels, harbor tugs, and boats like the one used to launch the October 20, 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen.