KUALA LUMPUR: Navy vessel KD Pendekar, which sunk off the coast of Johor in August, has been successfully refloated.
The vessel was raised to the surface at 4.38pm on Saturday (Oct 12).
"The operation was completed despite facing various obstacles.
"The vessel is currently undergoing early repairs before being handed back to the Navy," it said in a statement on Sunday (Oct 13).
The Navy declared the location of the sinking safe, with no ammunition or explosive materials remaining that could threaten the safety of the maritime community.
"The future of the 45-year-old ship will be decided in the 'phasing in-phasing out' plan for obsolete ships, in line with the Navy Transformation Plan," read the statement.
It added that the cause of and factors that led to its sinking are still being investigated.
It was reported that KD Pendekar experienced "severe flooding" following a leak and sunk at 3.54pm on Aug 25, two nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Penyusop off the coast of Johor.
Constructed by Karlskrona Varvet Shipyard in Sweden, this vessel was launched on Nov 11, 1978 and commissioned into the Navy fleet on July 27, 1979.
