MV Berkat Tuah crew claims commercial persecution

The crew, operator, and owner of the MV Berkat Tuah allege they are victims of commercial persecution, resulting in the ship's sailors being stranded for over a year in the waters of the United Arab Emirates. The company operating the vessel, Dynamic Navigation Sdn. Bhd., faces severe funding constraints due to the ongoing crisis.

The situation arose from a Singapore-based company detaining the ship and allegedly disregarding court orders concerning financial liabilities. Dynamic Navigation Sdn. Bhd. stated that their inability to disburse funds has led to overwhelming costs and depleted their financial resources. The company's managing director, Azman Mohamad, explained that the ship was detained through legal action in Sharjah, UAE, and the detaining company should have been fully responsible for the crew's needs and wages.

Despite court orders for the ship's release due to the Singaporean company's failure to meet its obligations, the detention persists. Legal representatives for the operator have filed multiple release applications without success. Azman Mohamad mentioned that they had proactively contacted the Malaysian Consulate General in Dubai for legal and diplomatic assistance, but the consulate classified the case as a private commercial dispute outside their jurisdiction.

Azman emphasized that the opposing party's refusal to comply with UAE court directives has escalated the issue from a standard commercial dispute to a clear violation of law and injustice. The most significant hardship for the sailors is the emotional and mental toll of the extended detention without income. While the ship's basic necessities like food and fuel are covered by insurance, the lack of wages severely impacts the livelihoods of the crew's families in Malaysia.