DistantNews
Support us
Crew's plight worsens as aid remains undelivered
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Conflict & Security

Crew's plight worsens as aid remains undelivered

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Crews aboard the MV Berkat Tuah are in critical condition due to a lack of supplies and dwindling manpower.
  • The shipping company's management is accused of neglecting its responsibilities, leaving sailors stranded without support.
  • While financial aid has been approved, its distribution is delayed, forcing the crew to rely on international NGO donations.

The crew of the MV Berkat Tuah faces a dire situation, stranded at sea with dwindling resources and manpower. Their physical and mental states are critical, with the ship's operational capacity reduced by more than half.

The shortage of manpower has hampered the smooth operation and affected the safety of the vessel. Ship maintenance processes are now completely neglected due to the unavailability of spare parts that should have been provided by the company.

— Mohamad Luqman YahayaSecond Officer of MV Berkat Tuah, describing the dire conditions on board.

Second Officer Mohamad Luqman Yahaya expressed deep disappointment with the shipping company and vessel owners, accusing them of shirking responsibility. He stated that the company's failure to manage operations and provide essential spare parts has led to the neglect of the ship's maintenance and compromised safety. The crew remains in uncertainty, awaiting answers and solutions that have not been forthcoming.

I am disappointed with the hands-off attitude of the ship management company and the shipowner who refuse to take responsibility and remain silent without providing any feedback on the fate of their employees.

— Mohamad Luqman YahayaSecond Officer of MV Berkat Tuah, expressing frustration with the company's inaction.

A recent online meeting involving stakeholders like the Malaysian Seafarers Union (NUSPM), the Marine Department, company representatives, and embassies failed to yield concrete action plans. Although the Marine Department's Central Fund for Maritime Trade (KWPPL) has approved financial aid, the disbursement process is slow, with funds expected only next week.

No explanation or thorough solution has been communicated, leaving the crew to wait in uncertainty until today.

— Mohamad Luqman YahayaSecond Officer of MV Berkat Tuah, highlighting the lack of communication.

Currently, the sailors depend on aid from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF). The prolonged crisis has inflicted severe emotional and financial strain, particularly on those who are family breadwinners. With overdue payments for school fees and rent, the crew's sole priority is to be repatriated home as soon as possible, marking this abandonment as a bitter experience in their careers.

The meeting was seen to have failed to produce any official decisions or concrete action plans to save all the crew involved.

— Mohamad Luqman YahayaSecond Officer of MV Berkat Tuah, commenting on the outcome of a stakeholder meeting.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog