KOTA KINABALU: The Royal Malaysian Naval base in Sepanggar will have four new generation patrol vessels to strengthen the Eastern Fleet Command operation.
Eastern Fleet commander Vice Admiral Datuk Syed Zahiruddin Putra Syed Osman said KD Selangor and KD Kelantan would be placed at the Sepanggar Naval Base here this year, while KD Terengganu and KD Pahang would arrive in 2019.
“KD Selangor will arrive this Saturday while KD Kelantan will arrive in March this year.
“For KD Terengganu and KD Pahang, both vessels will arrive in 2019,” he said during the annual parade and ‘Admiral on Deck’ programme at the Sepanggar Naval Base yesterday.
With the arrival of four new assets, the Eastern Fleet Command operation will have a total of six generation patrol vessels.
The other two are KD Kedah and KD Perak, which are currently being stationed here.
Syed Zahiruddin said that there were currently 18 Littoral Mission Ship (LMS) under the fleet.
He also said that a deal to purchase four new LMS vessels from China would be completed within two years.
Syed Zahiruddin said the vessels would improve the navy’s level of preparedness in East Malaysia, where they would operate in strategic locations in Sabah and Sarawak waters.
In his speech, the commander urged its staff to be ready to face various challenges to meet its commitment in 2018.
“We need to improve the performance achieved last year… (in order) to boost the performance, we need to change from the usual,” he said.
He said the staff needed to respond to RMN chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin’s call in realising the ‘15 to 5’ RMN Transformation Programme this year.
The transformation programme was part of the several initiatives to achieve ‘efficiency savings’ where the RMN would be decommissioning old vessels that cost a lot to operate and maintain and channelling these funds to buy newer ships which have the latest equipment to obtain operational and maintenance savings.
Syed Zahiruddin Putra also thanked the government for its continued allocation to ensure the smooth operation of the Eastern Fleet.
“For example, this year the government has allocated RM20 million to implement several projects for the well-being and welfare of Eastern Fleet officers and staff,” he added.
Earlier, a total of 41 officers and 271 staff of the Eastern Fleet took part in the 2018 annual parade while seven staff received the United Nations Mission Malbatt 850-4 medals.