Malaysia to deploy naval mothership off Sabah to stop kidnappings

The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) is deploying the naval support ship Bunga Mas Lima (pennant number 5) off the east coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah to act as a sea base. The deployment is in line with an overall strategy by Malaysia to combat kidnappings by groups based in the Philippines.

Bunga Mas Lima will act as a mothership for RMN Combatboat 90 (CB 90) fast attack craft and Malaysian Army fast boats, allowing them to reduce their response and interception time in relation to any incursions into Eastern Sabah. Bunga Mas Lima will also carry an RMN AS550 Fennec helicopter to conduct patrols and interceptions.

Operations on and from the ship will occur under the aegis of RMN COMNAV II, the region's naval command based at RMN Sepanggar at Kota Kinabalu, rather than under the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM), the civilian lead security structure tasked with implementing security operations in Sabah. 

ESSCOM has come under heavy criticism from various quarters in Malaysia over its inability to prevent several kidnappings.

Bunga Mas Lima and sister ship Bunga Mas Enam (6), both belonging to the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC), had been tasked with RMN counter-piracy escort missions of MISC ships transiting the Gulf of Aden. 

However, with the decline of piracy in that area and MISC's preference for onboard security teams for its merchant ships, the mission - known as Operation 'Fajar' - has been concluded.

Both ships would have reverted back to MISC, but the company has agreed for the ships to continue operating with the RMN. Bunga Mas Enam is in Perth serving as a command and co-ordination centre for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 international search effort.

Depending on the situation in question, RMN plans call for Bunga Mas Enam to also serve as a sea base either in addition to or in rotation with Bunga Mas Lima .

However, the use of the ships is only an interim solution. The Malaysian defence ministry plans to procure disused oil rigs that would then be refitted, equipped, and positioned off Eastern Sabah to serve as sea bases, although the conversion process is expected to take several months. 

Once the oil rigs are fully operational, the defence ministry will assess whether the naval ships will continue to serve as sea bases, be re-tasked to other missions, or revert back to MISC ownership

Sumber : Janes