Navigational error, old ship caused KD Pendekar shipwreck

KUALA LUMPUR: The Investigation Board of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RLDM) found that navigational errors and ship obsolescence were the cause of the sinking of the Royal Ship (KD) Pendekar in the waters of Tanjung Penyusop, Johor on August 25.

The Naval Headquarters in a statement informed that it was based on the record of the ship’s route that deviated from the planned route and hit the Punggai Reef.

In addition, the obsolescence factor of the ship that exceeds the Casting Policy, which is 45 years old, has made it difficult to control the flooding due to the structural weakness of the ship’s hull and hastened the flooding spreading to other compartments.

“The rescue and refloating of the KD Pendekar was successfully completed on Oct 15 by a local firm and the ship is currently in the process of technical inspection,” according to the statement.

Last August 25, KD Pendekar sank while carrying out an operational patrol and the incident occurred when the ship encountered a strong tremor followed by heavy flooding while approaching the coast to perform a technical inspection.

All 39 crew members were safely transferred to the merchant vessel MV ASHLEY without any injuries.

In the meantime, the investigation board also confirmed the death of TLDM Laskar Class I diver PLM Arman San Hermansa during the rescue operation KD Pendekar due to drowning.

“The conditions in the operational area where the current is erratic and hitting the mud on the seabed resulted in very limited visibility which was around 1 foot (0.3 meters) on the day of the incident.

“This situation puts the diver in a situation of high risk and challenging work pressure. When the safety rope used by the diver was found to be stuck on the vessel, the emergency measures taken by the victim did not work and caused him to drown,” according to the statement.

The Naval Headquarters in the same statement also informed that based on the investigation , the standard operating procedures of diving and safety measures were followed before the diving task began, in addition to the fact that the equipment was also confirmed to be working properly and the victim was confirmed to be competent.

According to the statement, TLDM takes seriously the findings of the two incidents involved in addition to prioritizing the safety and preparedness of members in carrying out their duties perfectly according to the set guidelines.

— BERNAMA

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