Maritime Community Advised To Heed Weather Warnings

GEORGE TOWN, Oct 11 (Bernama) -- The maritime community is advised to always focus on safety aspects at sea and to be alert to the warnings of heavy rain, strong winds, and rough seas issued by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

Penang Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director Maritime Captain Razali Kasim said it was to prevent tragedies due to the public’s lack of sensitivity to the erratic weather at sea because a body count from 11 fatalities due to various incidents at sea was recorded from January till yesterday.

“The MMEA does not rule out the possibility that some of them were caused by the community’s lack of concern and sensitivity to the weather conditions at sea when fishing,” he said in a statement tonight. 

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“Activities that fall under ‘business oriented’, including ferry operators, are no exception to the importance of safety at sea considering the heavy rain, strong winds and turbulent seas that are uncertain.” 

Taking the example of the discovery of a body on Oct 7, Razali said the victim concerned did not use any safety equipment such as a life jacket, taking into account the rough sea at the time.

Thus, in order to reduce the rate of accidents at sea, MMEA will intensify the Preventive Search and Rescue (SAR) programme by patrolling the piers around the coast and in waters throughout the country as a reminder to the community about the importance of safety awareness while at sea.

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Earlier, state Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS) director Datuk Mohd Nazri Yasmin reported that Penang is expected to experience high tides between Oct 18 and 21 based on the 2024 Malaysian Tide Table.

-- BERNAMA