Muhibbah Marine Delivers Multi-purpose Buoy Tender Vessel to Marine Dept. Malaysia Ahead of Schedule
Muhibbah Marine Engineering Sdn Bhd (MME), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Muhibbah Engineering (M) Bhd, had successfully delivered an 85m DP2 Multi-Purpose Buoy Tender Vessel to Marine Department Malaysia in Port Klang, West Malaysia.
The DP2 Multi-Purpose Buoy Tender Vessel was named “MV POLARIS,” which is the bigger vessel built for the Marine Department Malaysia and was delivered two weeks ahead of contractual obligation.
The launching (commissioning) ceremony held on 12th September 2017 was officiated by Dato Chua Kok Ching, Deputy Secretary General (Management), Ministry of Transport. Also present were Dato Baharin Bin Dato Abdul Hamid, General Director, Marine Department Malaysia; Dato’ Hazman Bin Hussein, Director, Industrial Control Division, Marine Department Malaysia; and Mr. Roslee Bin Mat Yusof, Director, Safety of Navigation Division.
Due to the technical complexity of the machinery, equipment, and systems fitted on board, this vessel has gone through 20 days of non-stop extensive sea trials to ensure that her performance and sea worthiness are in compliance with the classification society and maritime regulatory bodies namely:
UMS (Unmanned or Unattended Machinery Spaces)
Integrated Bridge Navigation System
SPS (Code of Safety for Special Purpose Ship)
MLC 2006 (Maritime Labour Convention 2006)
Unrestricted Navigation
The multi-task functions of this vessel are equipped for the purpose of: buoy tendering activities, training for Marine Department personnel, emergency towing, firefighting, oil spill pollution control, and Dynamic Positioning 2 (DP2) operation.
During his speech, Mr. Mac Ngan Boon, Managing Director of MME, commended: “The timely handing over of this vessel is made possible with the cooperation and commitment between the Jabatan Laut Malaysia Project Team and Muhibbah Marine over the entire duration of its construction.”
“The delivery of this vessel has proven the potential capability, competency, and achieving another milestone forward for the Malaysia Maritime Industry. It also demonstrates the concept of ‘Build in Malaysia by Malaysian for Malaysia.’”
“We also extend our appreciation for the support and contribution from classification society, suppliers, and sub-contractors.”
Before the establishment of the Marine Department of Malaysia, the Marine Department consisted of three different independent departments: Marine Department Peninsular Malaysia, Marine Department Sabah, and Marine Department Sarawak, which were headed by different Heads of Service. As of 1st January 2011, Marine Department Peninsular Malaysia has integrated with Marine Department Sabah and Marine Department Sarawak and is now known as the Marine Department of Malaysia.
The Marine Department is a government department under the purview of the Ministry of Transport, Malaysia. Its objective is to administer matters related to shipping and ports including maritime affairs within Malaysian waters. Muhibbah Engineering was established in 1996. The shipyard is strategically located between Pulau Indah (West Port) and South Port, which is sheltered from the Straits of Malacca.
Situated on a 21-acre land, the shipyard has a 650-metre long waterfront with water depth of up to 18 metres. The 102m long drydock is able to dock vessels up to 5,000 dwt, and the slipway has a capacity of up to 1,000 mt. Having a team of dedicated and experienced management and technical personnel, coupled with the facilities available, MME is capable of providing services that meet classification societies’ requirements for both shipbuilding and ship repair activities. Since its inception, MME has successfully constructed and delivered more than 160 vessels to both local and overseas clients.
This article was originally published on Marine & Industrial Report newspaper Vol 39 No.5 Issue last October 31, 2017.
