Perak MB: State Marine Dept monitoring oil spill from Penang waters

IPOH: Perak Mentri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu said at the moment there is no risk of diesel and engine oil reaching Perak shores after a ship sank at the Penang coast.

He said the state Marine Department has been monitoring the situation, and would inform the state government on the risk, if the spill reached towards Tanjung Piandang.

"So for now, there is nothing to worry and that people should get the correct information from the authorities concerned.

"Until this morning, the situation is all clear and I wish to thank all the personnel and officers from the agencies involved for controlling the situation," he told reporters after chairing the Perak Water Board meeting here.

The Star reported Thursday (July 26) that up to six tonnes of diesel and hundreds of litres of engine oil floated from Penang seas towards Perak when a ship sank, threatening fish and shrimp farms and the coastal environment along several kilometres of northern Perak's coast.

The vessel's fuel and engine oil began spewing out about seven hours after it hit the remains of a shipwreck nicknamed Kapal Simen, 4km from Penang island's southern coast.