[Watch] Is The New OPV 1 Vessel Sinking? MMEA Says The Ship Is Working Fine
The first Offshore Patrol Vessel belonging to the Maritime Enforcement Agency tilted sideways when one of the steel cables below it was cut.
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The first Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV 1) belonging to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) was successfully launched in Port Klang, Selangor on Monday, 10 October 2022.
According to Malay Mail, it was launched using the ‘Air Balloon’ launch system at the TH Heavy Engineering (THHE) Shipyard at 5.57am.
The OPV 1 vessel, measuring 83 metres long and 13.7 metres wide, is capable of long-range surveillance reach of up to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as well as areas beyond the range of small vessels.
The ship’s design follows the design of the Damen 1800 ship, which is capable of operating at sea for a maximum of 21 days without resupply.
Upon handover to the MMEA, the OPV 1 vessel is expected to operate in the waters around Beting Patinggi Ali in Sarawak.
Akhirnya kapal Maritim Malaysia yang menjadi kontroversi politik di Malaysia yang membabitkan kerjasama syarikat THHE-Deatini berjaya dilancarkan di air. pic.twitter.com/mOgxmUVpAt
— Don Juan De Ryezal (@donjuanderyezal) October 10, 2022
Is it sinking already?
It didn’t take long for rumours to swirl when videos of the vessel tipping sideways spread online.
The video showed the ship tilting sideways in the water, giving the illusion that the vessel is taking on water and sinking.
MMEA director-general Zubil Mat Som told Free Malaysia Today that there was nothing wrong with the new vessel.
Kapal Maritim (KM) Tun Fatimah senget disebabkan air yang cetek di Klang. Semoga semuanya dipermudahkan.
— Malaysia Gazette (@MalaysiaGazette) October 12, 2022
Sumber : Warganet pic.twitter.com/BWFAPWwlDk
THHE general manager Azizul Hanafee Zain explained that the ship tilted to one side after one of the steel cables attached to the supporting structure underneath the ship was cut.
When the cables were cut on one side, it resulted in the ship being pulled towards the other side. We had expected this. The ship’s position returned to normal after all the cables were cut.
THHE general manager Azizul Hanafee Zain
Azizul assured everyone that the vessel is in good condition. Based on reports, the OPV 1 vessel will undergo several tests and training sessions involving the crew for three months before being deployed to Beting Patinggi Ali, Sarawak, in early 2023.
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