Malaysia's warship KD Pendekar encountered serious flooding due to a leak first discovered in the engine room at noon on August 25, according to the Royal Malaysian Navy's announcement.
Although the team members made every effort to control and stabilize the ship, the ship completely sank at 3:54 p.m. the same day. The incident occurred about 3.74 km southeast of Tanjung Penyusop.
All 39 crew members were safely rescued before the ship completely sank, and there were no reports of any injuries. After being rescued, the sailors were transferred to the KD Sultan Ismail naval base near Tanjung Pengelih.
The Royal Malaysian Navy established a special investigation board to determine the exact cause of this serious leak. At the same time, environmental monitoring teams were also deployed to the scene to monitor the situation.
Recognizing the seriousness of the incident, the Malaysian Navy urged the public to avoid speculation and pledged to provide accurate information from official channels. The Navy also expressed its gratitude to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the police for their quick response and support throughout the incident.
The detailed cause is still being investigated, but initial information as of the morning of August 26 (Vietnam time) showed that the warship KD Pendekar sank after a collision with a submerged object.
The KD Pendekar, a Handalan-class fast warship, was commissioned into the fleet on July 27, 1979. This is one of four ships of this class, built at Sweden's Kalskrona Varvet shipyard. With a length of 43.6 meters, the ship is equipped with a Bofors 57 mm main gun, a 40 mm secondary gun and Exocet anti-ship missiles.
At the time of the incident, the KD Pendekar ship was performing a combat mission. The Malaysian Navy acknowledged the quick actions of the maritime community, thanks to which 39 crew members were promptly rescued before the ship completely sank. Efforts to salvage the ship are still underway, with the hope of recovering the ship and better investigating the cause of the incident.
This event not only highlights the challenges the Malaysian Navy is facing in operating older ships but also emphasizes the importance of maintenance and risk management in naval operations.
