KUALA TERENGGANU: A passenger boat with an expired license and insurance has been detained while ferrying eight foreign tourists off Pulau Perhentian.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detected the boat piloted by a 33-year-old local about 11 nautical miles northeast of Kuala Besut carrying the tourists from Pulau Perhentian to Pulau Rawa for leisure.
"During the (Op Iman) inspection, the operator presented an expired licence, which is a clear violation,” state MMEA director Maritime Captain Mohd Khairulanuar Abd Majid said in a statement on Monday (Oct 21).
Khairulanuar reminded that safety negligence was serious as it affected not just the operator but also the passengers onboard.
The operator was detained and the boat was seized under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 for carrying passengers without a valid licence and expired insurance.
"MMEA urges all boat operators to comply with laws, especially with the arrival of the Northeast Monsoon to prevent unwanted incidents,” he said. - Bernama
