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Malaysia detains China-registered dredge barge for allegedly scavenging WW2 shipwrecks

Shipwrecks were identified to be from the remains of Royal Navy ships HMS “Repulse” and HMS “Prince of Wales” that sank on 10 December 1941 after the ships were attacked.
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The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Tuesday (30 May) reportedly said it has detained a China-registered dredge barge believed to have been scavenging for World-War 2-era (WW2) shipwrecks in the region, according to the New Straits Times.

The shipwrecks were identified to be from the remains of Royal Navy ships HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales that sank on 10 December 1941 after the ships were attacked and sunk by aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy. 

Johor MMEA also reportedly said the authorities were investigating if there was a ‘mothership’ anchored outside of Malaysian waters where the dredge barge may be offloading the stolen goods. 

New Straits Times also reported that the vessel is allegedly wanted by the Indonesia authorities for stealing wrecks of Dutch warships in the Java Sea. 

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In a separate statement on 29 May, MMEA said it detained a vessel carrying scrap metal and artillery shells in the waters off east Johor on 28 May. The barge was found when it anchored illegally at 20.1 nautical miles east of Tanjung Siang.

“Further inspections has led to the discovery of old steel and the shells suspected to be linked to an unexploded ordnance case in Tanjung Belungkor here on 19 May,” it said. 

MMEA added it will cooperate with police, Malaysian Marine Department and the National Heritage Department to identify if the cannon shells were from WW2. 

The ship was operated by 32 male crew including a Captain. The crew consisted of 21 Chinese nationals, 10 Bangladeshis and one Malaysian aged between 23 to 57 years.

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Meanwhile, the National Museum of the Royal Navy said it was “distressed and concerned at the apparent vandalism for personal profit of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse”.

“They are designated war graves. We are upset at the loss of naval heritage and the impact this has on the understanding of our Royal Navy history,” Professor Dominic Tweddle, Director General of The National Museum of the Royal Navy said in a statement on 24 May. 

“What we need is a management strategy for the underwater naval heritage so that we can better protect or commemorate these ships.  That may include targeted retrieval of objects.”

The museum said the sinking of the ships ended with the loss of 842 men, in what was “one of the worst disasters in British naval history”.

The BBC on 27 May reported UK’s Ministry of Defence condemning the “desecration” of maritime military graves following reports of scavengers targeting HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse wrecks, surfaced. 

“Where we have evidence of desecration of the wrecks of Royal Navy vessels, we will take appropriate action, including working with regional governments and partners to prevent inappropriate activity at such sites,” a spokesman from the ministry was quoted by the news outlet.

 

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 30 May, 2023

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Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

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July 21, 2026

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RESIZED Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July). 

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions. 

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Founder OK Lim gets jail term slashed to 13.5 years

 

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

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July 21, 2026

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RESIZED Drew Beamer

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

  • That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

  • that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
  • that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
  • that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Related: Singapore: Director declares Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping’s inability to continue business
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
Related: Singapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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July 21, 2026

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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