SHAH ALAM: China grab dradger MV Chuan Hong 68 suspected of plundering World War 2 shipwrecks in South East Asia, has been detained by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA, in the waters off Tanjung Hantu, Perak on July 1.
It must be noted that Tanjung Hantu is the location where the location where the Army annually conduct rocket firing exercise for its Rocket Artillery Brigade. The last exercise was conducted on May 30.
According to the MMEA, the ship did not have proper documentation and port clearance when boarded and inspected. During inspection, the ship was also found with 60 LPG cylinders worth RM9,000 in contravention of the Control Supplies Act 1961.
The dredger made headlines last year as it was suspected of plundering the wrecks of British warships HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales that sank in Malaysian waters in 1941. However, the authorities have yet to release the investigation into the dredger’s activities in Malaysian waters. It is likely nothing happened as the ship is still trawling our waters without any documentation.
The release from MMEA:
𝗞𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗟 𝗞𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗞 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗔𝗥 𝗗𝗜 𝗙𝗨𝗭𝗛𝗢𝗨, 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗔 𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗜 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗞.
𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗨𝗧, 𝟮 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗶 – Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (Maritim Malaysia) Negeri Perak dengan kerjasama Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) telah menahan sebuah kapal korek pasir di kedudukan 14.8 batu nautika barat laut Tanjung Hantu, Perak sekitar jam 3.10 petang semalam.
Pengarah Maritim Negeri Perak, Kepten Maritim Mohamad Shukri bin Khotob berkata, kapal korek pasir yang bernama Chuan Hong 68 yang berdaftar di Fuzhou, China itu dikesan ketika sedang bersauh oleh pasukan operasi KD LAKSAMANA TUN ABDUL JAMIL TLDM.
Hasil maklumat itu, BOT TEMPUR TLDM bersama pasukan menggeledah Maritim Malaysia yang sedang melaksanakan operasi di perairan negeri Perak telah diatur gerak ke lokasi dan berjaya menahan kapal tersebut.
Pemeriksaan mendapati, kapal korek itu dikendalikan oleh seorang nakhoda dibantu oleh 47 kru kesemuanya terdiri daripada 20 kru warga China, 26 kru warga Bangladesh dan seorang kru warga tempatan dalam lingkungan umur 21 hingga 68 tahun.
Pemeriksaan lanjut mendapati, kapal korek itu didapati gagal mengemukakan dokumen asal kapal, ‘Port Clearance’ dan seorang kru tiada dalam senarai nama kru kapal.
Dalam pada itu, hasil pemeriksaan lanjut telah menemukan sebanyak 60 tong gas memasak LPG (14 kilogram per unit) berwarna kuning tanpa dokumen yang sah daripada Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna (KPDN) berada di atas kapal itu dengan nilai rampasan dianggarkan berjumlah RM9,000.
Kes disiasat di bawah Ordinan Perkapalan Saudagar (MSO) 1952 kerana gagal mengemukakan dokumen asal kapal, Port Clearance, dan seorang kru tiada dalam senarai nama kru kapal serta Akta Kawalan Bekalan 1961 kerana tiada dokumen yang sah.
Kesemua kru bersama kapal ditahan bagi tujuan siasatan dan tindakan lanjut.
Maritim Malaysia menegaskan kepada komuniti maritim agar sentiasa mematuhi undang-undang yang ditetapkan bagi mengelakkan tindakan diambil.
Sebarang laporan, aduan dan insiden kecemasan di laut, orang ramai boleh menghubungi Maritim Malaysia di talian Pusat Operasi Maritim Negeri Perak di talian 05-6838737 atau MERS 999 untuk maklum balas segera.
RMN corvette, KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil was the first to locate the dredger.
— Malaysian Defence
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Surely they can now impound the ship. Our laws are so weak. It’s the second time this ship has broken the law..
Since war shipwrecks are relating to British & Japanese warships, these are considered their war graves and thus these countries ought to also be responsible for their own dead. GB, Japan, & Msia could use this reason to come out a permanent joint patrols which not only would deter these grave robbers but also indirectly keep CCG/PLAN at bay from the area. Such a act would serve the interest for all, both the past, and present future.
”but also indirectly keep CCG/PLAN at bay from the area.”
Which is why the Brits might not want to go along with the idea; even if the could. They are very stretched. There is also the fact that there are no war graves in the Spratlys.
Another issue is that neither Britain, Australia or New Zealand have ever expressed any wish for the FPDA to cover East Malaysia because our Spratlys claims extend from there and because of the Sabah claim by the Philippines. HQIADS only covers West Malaysia and there has never been a FPDA exercise in East Malaysia.
There is also another angle. We do not want outside involvement as it complicates things and gives other countries the pretext to intervene; i.e. when the USS Montgomery and HMAS Parramatta were near the West Capella in 2019 we did not welcome their presence. We worry that getting others involve will not only harden China’s stance [like what’s happened with the Philippines] and also lead to the issue spiralling with us caught in the middle.
It’s also widely believed that the reason we’ve displayed a reluctance for others to get involved is because we have an unwritten agreement with the Chinese; both sides doing certain things as part of the game but both sides not doing anything that would upset the balance. As an academic points out; we make a profound distinction between actions which directly threaten the country’s core interests/security [i.e. the Confrontation or a reef being physically seized] and alter the status quo and day to day tactical actions such as intrusions in the maritime zone which concerns us and is something we react to but also tolerate. The reason we maintain close ties with the U.S. and Australia; are a FPFDA member [which we value] and take part in multilateral exercises is insurance against the possibility of actions which directly threaten the country’s core interests/security; as opposed to day to day tactical actions such as intrusions in the EEZ.
What is there to be plundered
War graves plenty of them around the region.
If the Brits arent going to care their war dead underwater, then why should we? I rather than risk further breach of our waters, better we legally hire a scrap collector to clear out the sea bed of these wrecks. We could possibly repatriate remains back to GB or else give them a sea funeral. This would at least deter these illegal collector coming here again.
As long as the wreck remains there will be money to be made so even if shoo them for good, we have no guarantee this issue wont crop up in 10, 20, 50 years from now. By then high tech scraper ROVs long tethered to boats in international waters would circumvent legal loopholes, how are we to detect & stop them? Might as well take them out and be done with it.
Qamarul – ”What is there to be plundered”
Seriously? Metal [lots of it as W2 ships are armoured], brass, etc.
”If the Brits arent going to care their war dead underwater, then why should we?”
Same reason we cooperate wholeheartedly in taking care of Commonwealth cemeteries. Same reason we help whenever remains are discovered and repatriated. Our waters; our sovereign land; out care of duty to safeguard what’s in it.
”better we legally hire a scrap collector to clear out the sea bed of these wrecks. ”
And expose ourselves to the diplomatic fall out? Never mind the morality issues; why risk ourselves to the fall out and the ill will it brings along with it?
“What is there to be plundered”
The stainless steel on WW2 era battleships/cruisers are of very high quality, even better than those used in modern warships. Or so I am told based on documentary I watched somewhere either Youtube or History Channel.
There are relics that I imagined will fetch a high price on the black market. There are people collecting war memoribilia
ASM – “There are people collecting war memoribilia”
I’m a militaria collector but even if I had evidence as to its providence I would never buy something taken from the wreck of the Repulse or Prince of Wales. I have bought small bits of aircraft shot down in Ukraine and bits and bobs taken from a friend in the Falklands during a visit but those are legal.
Anyway, not generally known is that one of the last IJN ships sunk was a cruiser in the Melaka Straits.
“in taking care of Commonwealth cemeteries”
Not the same. The British Govt do pay a sum for their maintenance. But not the sunken ones.
“diplomatic fall out?”
What diplomatic fallout if they dont give a ratshit at all? They would rather be happy to finally received those lost and bury them back in their home soil. You cant say you care about security of your home but not pay a single sen for security, right? And Id rather not risk the fall out & ill will anyhow if we cannot guarantee the Chinese will not cart it away bit by bit in 10, 20 or 50 years. As I said, when there is money to be made its inevitable. If GB really cares and not want to worry ever again, just entomb them in concrete domes.
Morally there are no love lost. They were here then as colonisers and they fought & died protecting their Rule Britannia interests not the interests & safety of Malayans.
“What diplomatic fallout if they dont give a ratshit at”
Who says there don’t give a shit? With so many war graves around the world they’d hardly be expected to safeguard each and every one. It’s also not as if foreign ships are in our waters on a regular basis and in large numbers doing illegal salvage work. If there weren’t RN wrecks; they’d be salvaging other wrecks.
As for the “fall out” us doing what you suggest [which we’d never do] would lead to major friction and condemnation not only from them but from others. The wrecks are in our waters; it’s our care of duty to safeguard them; as much as we would anything else. The wrecks also technically don’t belong to us even thought they’re are in our waters. We also place value in being part of the Commonwealth; whether we actually benefit is another story.
There is also the matter of the FPDA. In addition to enabling joint cooperation; often unrealised is it provides us with strategic ambiguity; one reason why we see so much value in it. A potential aggressor would always have to factor in British [and Australian] involvement; plus the fact that British is a NATO country; a member of AUKUS and since WW2 has has a special relationship with the U.S.
“they were here then”
Doesn’t change the fact that British and Commonwealth fought and died. Separate the politics from the soldiers. Also, we were not a colony when the Confrontation was declared and when Britain anf the Commonwealth did all it could to help defend us. During a period when Britain was focused on Europe; a large part of its military was here. The concentration of RN ships in our waters was the largest since the Korean War. We may have been independent but they were to all intents and purposes running and financing the war. And there’s also the diplomatic support. Sure they did it for their own interests but we benefited.
”But not the sunken ones.”
There is no maintenance. As for the wrecks our ships do patrol the waters anyway; even if there were no wrecks. It’s not as if our ships have to be there only because the wrecks are there.
” they fought & died protecting their Rule Britannia interests not the interests & safety of Malayans.”
They were fighting to protect their colony against a country which wanted to colonise the whole region under the pretext of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere; an arrangement much worse than British imperialism which BTW was quire benign compared to what the locals endured under the French in Indochina and under the Dutch in what is now Indonesia. Malaya was inhabited by a populace who underwent a very hard time during the subsequent occupation – a near famine; killings, break down of medical services, etc. As such; even though the Brits were fighting to preserve their empire; the locals would have benefited had the Jap invasion been repulsed; was well within their interests.
I would also add that there were local units – the Malay Regiment the most well known – who fought for their country despite it being a British colony; there was no contradiction for them.
”They would rather be happy to finally received those lost and bury them back in their home soil.”
No. To them the wrecks are sacred; an inherent part of their heritage/history; just as it would be for us if the wrecks had a ”KD” instead of a ”RN” prefix. The RN has wrecks all over the globe; from the Kola inlet [from the Arctic convoys]; to the Med; the North and south Atlantic; to the eastern Pacific. No way it could police all those waters and the humane/decent thing to do is for countries to do all they can to protect those wrecks.
The wrecks of Repulse and Prince of Wales are part of our history too; irrespective of the fact that they were RN and the country didn’t even exist then.
A lot of spiel of about them ‘caring’ but not actually lifting a single finger to help. Not sure which dictionary you got that from, perhaps the ‘British Colonial Overlord is My Master’ Dictionary?
The context of Brits fighting & dying here is not the same as say Lt Adnan & co. Even though our local heroes were then serving in the Brit Army they were fighting for their homeland, not the colonising Brits. When the situation was ady untenable, if they could they would have Dunkirk’ed out of here under the pretext of living to fight another day, ask McArthur after he lost the Pinoy rather than fighting to the last man.
Unlike you, I am under no illusion they are better here than others, the fight was just a matter between one coloniser and another coloniser and us Malayans are the ones to suffer between them, there are no rosy pictures painted for the Brit colonisation, go ask Mat Kilau, Tok Janggut, Rentap, Tok Gajah, and many others.
We think Jap colonisation was terrible but that was because its a short 3-4 years and under the duress of war. Otherwise see what became of their other long term colony; Korea & Taiwan, they wouldnt have been todays cutting edge semicon hub. Okinawa is a Japan colony until they were subsumed and look where they are today. So anyone could look at different colonisations with rose tinted glasses but there are other not so nice realities.
“To them the wrecks are sacred”
And if in 50 years the Brits gets enraged when both ships are virtually gone, is Malaysia going to be blamed by the Brit Govt, politicians, & public? Fat chance I will take it! It is their people, their graves, their responsibility, not any others. If you dont pay for you house security you have no one else to blame but yourself when it got burgled, you cant go blaming the pak jaga down the streets.
“A lot of spiel of about them ‘caring’ but not actually lifting a single finger to help. Not sure which dictionary”
Good try but save the sarcasm for a more appropriate occasion. They do “care” for the reasons I mentioned. How did you get the idea they don’t care”? From the fact that RN ships don’t safeguard the dozens of wrecks lying on seabeds all over the world?
“Unlike you”
Well I’ll leave the illusions to you because what I said left no room to for ambiguity or obfuscation : in many ways British colonialism in Malaya was more benign than French and Dutch rule in Indochina and Indonesia. We can go more to info that if you wish.
Also, if you’d care to read again what I wrote; there was zero mention of any “rosy picture”.
“And in 50 years”
I’ll leave the future aside and again point out that it behooves to do what we can to safeguard the wrecks as they’re in our waters; even if the wrecks weren’t there we’d still have to patrol those waters; that we’d never do what you’d suffer gibrn it would Ipoh us to widespread condemnation; that we value our relationship with the Commonwealth and the FPDA and that even if the wrecks weren’t there foreign salvage ships would still try to enter our waters.
P.S. In a way the wrecks too are part of our history.
0We think Jap colonisation was terrible but that was because its a short 3-4 years and under the duress of war. Otherwise see what became of their other long term colony; Korea & Taiwan, they wouldnt have been todays cutting edge semicon hub”
Well you told me to “ask”Mat Kilau”. Go ask people who suffered under Jap occupation. The locals [mostly Malay] who died on the Burma railroad; the ones who suffered under food shortages; the Chinese who were machine gunned; etc. As for the short period being an excuse; Formosa was colonised for a long time. Ask the locals whdt they thought. Ask the locals in China who were under Jap occupation for years what it was like being under Jap rule.
Now this is not me saying that the Brits are good and the Japs are bad but me pointing out that the who idea of the “reater East Asia Co-Prosperity” was to plunder/ milk the region for Japan’s benefit. The whole narrative about liberating Asia from the evil Europeans was pure propaganda; the idea was to replace European colonialism with Japanese colonialism. There was also an element of racism involved; all this is well documented and well understood; not me forming my own conclusions and saying things like how well Korea and Taiwan are doing and the connection to Japanese colonisation. The fact that both countries are doing well have zero to with them being Japanese occupied and I’m surprised you’d come to such a conclusion. Ask the locals their about their thoughts on being under Imperial Japan. Whilst you’re at it ask the locals in the various islands the Japs seized in the Pacific after WW1 and ask the locals in Tsingtao which the Japs controlled for years; as opposed to the 3-4 years they were in Malaya which you use as justification to show why it wasn’t bad. Even Jap researchers/historians acknowledge that Jap rule in various places was bad.
”as say Lt Adnan & co. ”
He was a serving officer of a unit in the British army; his sovereign was King George. All this is fact irrespective of the fact he was fighting for his homeland which incidentally does not include Singapore where his regiment made its last stand and saw the most combat throughout the whole campaign. We also have to note that during the pre war and war period; independence or righting the wrongs inflicted by every blue eyed overlords was not the foremost priority of most locals. If in doubt look at Dol Ramli’s and Murbin Shepard’s book on the Malay Regiment; as well as other works on pre war Malaya.
“They do “care” for the reasons I mentioned.”
Yeah sure, as much as you care about your house security by leaving the doors wide open. Oh sure you ‘care’ too. Are you gonna blame the security when someone walks in?
“many ways British colonialism in Malaya”
In many ways it doesnt matter, it was still colonialism plain & simple. And these ships represent the yoke of colonialism back then. And how does it becomes our sovereign responsibility when they themselves dont care?
“even if the wrecks weren’t there foreign salvage ships would still try to enter our waters.”
You are starting to not even make any sense. If there is no wrecks there is no reason for them to enter our waters, unless there are other wrecks. Are they targeting that?
If its were commercial shipwrecks, yeah it has no diplomatic conundrum and we could do the best to safeguard but there will be no fallout if we tried but failed. But can we expect the same with these battleships? 50 years is a long time to be watching something.
“Formosa was colonised for a long time.”
Formosans got the Confucian backbone which allowed them to integrate with the mainland KMT Chinese later on, becoming the Taiwan identity of today, which now propelled them to be the semicon hub of the world. Japan was not the total monster nor the Brits were as much our saviours. Both colonisations are plainly bad and inhumane, which neither are better than the other. I dont know how you can justify the subjugation of another human society but thats you.
“he was fighting for his homeland which incidentally does not include Singapore”
There was no sovereign SG back then and it was part of the colony where one could freely walk across the Causeway, so its immaterial where his last stand was. It could have been JB if his unit was ordered to do so. Rather it was the act of fighting to the last man on homesoil that counted.
“foremost priority of most locals”
By and large then locals were not as nationalistic as postwar.
Worth watching.
”Imperial Gateway: Colonial Taiwan and Japan’s Expansion in South China and Southeast Asia”
”WWII, Japanese Occupation and Southeast Asia”
”Ambush at Gemas – Malaya 1942”’mbush at Gemas – Malaya 1942”
”The Battle of Pasir Panjang [Singapore] – 80th Anniversary Special”
”Yeah sure, as much as you care about your house security by leaving the doors wide open.”
They do “care” for the reasons I mentioned.. Have you been with veterans on particular anniversaries or are you just insisting on something based on pure self assumption.
”Oh sure you ‘care’ too.”
Speak for yourself but not others. I have respect for any war grave; irrespective of country or ideology or my personal biases/views. I make a distinction between the politics and the actual service and I was a volunteer at the IWM as a teenager and had contacts with veterans; so yes : I ”care” thank you.
”In many ways it doesnt matter”
Maybe not but in the context of the discussion British colonialism was not as harsh as in Indochina or the Dutch East Indies. Yes colonialism is colonialism but that was not in any dispute was it?
”You are starting to not even make any sense.”
And you are? First you asked why we don’t get the RN to mount joint patrols to deter the Chinese Coast Guard and it was pointed out to you that there are no war graves in disputed waters; that due to our policy [as was explained in my 1st post]we’d never agree to it and that the RN is so stretched it doesn’t even have a ship on permanent presence in the region; yet alone being able to station one to deter plunderers.
”Japan was not the total monster nor the Brits were as much our saviours.”
And did anyone say otherwise?
”Formosans got the Confucian backbone which allowed them to integrate with the mainland KMT Chinese later on”
Assumptions or facts? The local Formosans resented the presence of the mainland Chinese who fled across the straits in 1949; Jap rule was not as benign as you’d think and Taiwan’s economic success had zero to do with its history as a Jap colony. All this is a matter of historical record.
South Korea and Taiwan did not prosper later or become ”todays cutting edge semicon hub” [your quote] because of Jap colonisation and Okinawa was under Jap rule from the Middle Ages; it’s also in Japan’s backyard literally and Okinawans have more cultural similarities with the Japs than the Formosans aand various races in South East Asia. Also; the idea that Jap occupation was bad because it only lasted 3 years is not in touch with reality. Long term Japanese plans [well documented and not in dispute] called for the exploitation of the area with the locals expected to be ruled by their overlords. Only someone with a horizon as wide as a toilet bowl or naive folks like those in the Kesatuan Melayu Muda believed that Japan’s Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was really intended to benefit the locals so everyone could live free from Western rule ands be equal.
”There was no sovereign SG back then and it was part of the colony where one could freely walk across the Causeway, so its immaterial where his last stand was.”
You’re going off tangent. Again what I said left no room for misinterpretation : ”He was a serving officer of a unit in the British army; his sovereign was King George. All this is fact irrespective of the fact he was fighting for his homeland which incidentally does not include Singapore where his regiment made its last stand and saw the most combat throughout the whole campaign. ” Nobody said anything about Singapore being a sovereign nation. Adnan was from Selangor which was part of Malaya and Malaya was a British colony. Just mentioned in passing that where the Regiment made their last stand and saw the most combat was in Singapore.
‘By and large then locals were not as nationalistic as postwar.”
Because they were largely content with being under British rule. The tide of nationalism only really caught on later and even then a segment of the Malayan population wasn’t very enthusiastic about independence in 1957. Unlike say in Vietnam; the Brits created a bureaucracy; a civil service which ran things. It sent large numbers of locals abroad to be educated and trained. Of all the colonies – Malaya had the best road network. Contrast this with the situation in Cambodia or Vietnam. up to the time of Dien Ben Phu only a handful of Vietnamese were graduates and they were not allowed to run the civil service – see ”Forgotten Armies: Britain’s Asian Empire and the War with Japan” and ”The Last Valley: Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnam”. Yes the Brits did a lot of things for their benefit but the locals benefited.
”Rather it was the act of fighting to the last man on homesoil that counted.”
Actually Adnan’s company made its ”last stand” but it was not wiped out to the ”last man”. Quite a few survived from the 2 battalions and when both were reconstituted in 1946 the units contained survivors who fought a Pasir Panjang.
Dol Ramli’s and Murbin Shepard’s books [both out of print] contain the most detailed account of the wartime service of both units. More recently there was also an excellent episode on the subject on ”WW2TV”.
”I dont know how you can justify the subjugation of another human society but thats you.”
I’m not ”justifying” anything and I’m surprised you’ve come to the conclusion. Me correcting some things you’ve said and explaining why certainly does not equal ”I dont know how you can justify the subjugation of another human society but thats you”. Also, the Jap occupation of Malaya was bad and not because it only lasted for 3 years as you claim. Look up what the long term Jap plan was as part of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Taking a page from your book; why don’t ”ask” survivors of ” the Wataniah and ”Askar Malaya Setia” what they thought of Japanese rule? Both were Malay resistance units BTW; not as well known as Chin Peng’s lot. Also ”ask” the thousands of Malayans who cheered the arrival of the liberating Brits forces [see Pathe]. I also never said anything was better than anything and I explained why
“Are you gonna blame the security when someone walks in?”
I know you’re fond of analogies but …
– They’ve never ”blamed” us.
– Even if the wrecks were not there we still have to safeguard our waters. The waters in question are off Kuantan BTW not in the periphery along the Andaman Sea or in the EEZ ‘X’NM west of Amboyna Cay. The fact that intruders can enter and at times remain undetected should raise alarm bells and add further impetus for the government to adequately equip the RMN an MMEA. That’s the story; not the issue of war graves.
” 50 years is a long time.”
That’s the point … We don’t ”watch” the wrecks” but the waters they’re in and even if the wrecks weren’t there; we’d still have to watch those waters which BTW are traditional working grounds for Viet and Thai trawlers.
”And these ships represent the yoke of colonialism back then.”
By that logic we should have the army do away with the regimental system and many other things; i.e. the Para’s Red berets; why have ”troops” and ”squadron’s and stable belts? The various units should throw away their colours then and do way with the British ranking system. And why speak English? After all it wa taught to us by the evil overlords; the “yoke” of colonialism.
Funny but the army has no issue with its British heritage and is proud of it. As pointed out to me by a former Brit DA; in some ways th Malaysian, Indian, Pakistan an Bangladesh armies are more British than British and are proud of it. Whilst we’re at it leave the Commonwealth and why be part of the FPDA when the most militarily capable member is a former overlord? Like it or not colonialism is part of our history and it wasn’t all bad; in that we did benefit in some ways. Even the likes of Ibrahim Yacoob – who was anti Brit and a far right nationalist who collaborated with the Japs – acknowledged this. look up his writings.