Perak Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Tuesday (18 March) detained a Singapore-flagged bulk carrier for anchoring without permission about 13 nautical miles northwest of Pulau Jarak at 3.30pm on 17 March. 

Perak MMEA director Maritime Capt Mohamad Shukri Khotob said the vessel, Queen Harmony, was operated by an Egyptian captain along with one Russian, two Ukrainians and 17 Filipino crew members. 

Further investigation found that the ship failed to present any documents for permission to anchor and did not report their arrival in Malaysian waters.

The case is being investigated under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, which carries a fine of not more than MYR 100,000 or a jail term of not more than two years, or both, for anchoring without permission. It is also being investigated for the offence of failing to report its arrival, which carries a fine of up to MYR 5,000. 

Two crew members of the ship were taken to the Perak State Maritime Headquarters for further investigation.

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 20 March, 2025

The final meetings of members of Flores Shipping Pte Ltd and related companies, have been scheduled to take place on 14 April, according to the company’s liquidators on a notice posted on Friday (14 March) on the Government Gazette.

The other companies involved in the matter are Lombok Shipping Pte Ltd and PACC Banda Pte Ltd. 

The meetings will be held at 600 North Bridge Road, #05-01 Parkview Square, Singapore 188778 at the following times: 

• Flores Shipping: 9am 
• Lombok Shipping: 9.30am
• PACC Banda: 10am

The meetings will be held the purpose of having an account laid before the members showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and the property of the company disposed of and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the liquidators.

The details of the liquidators are as follows:

Victor Goh
Khor Boon Hong
Marie Lee
Joint Liquidators
C/o Baker Tilly
600 North Bridge Road
#05-01 Parkview Square
Singapore 188778

Note: Pursuant to Section 181 of the Companies Act 1967, a member entitled to attend and vote at this meeting is entitled to appoint another person or persons as his/her proxy to attend and vote in his/her stead. Proxies to be used at the meeting must be lodged at the Office of the Liquidators not later than 48 hours before the meeting.

Related: Singapore: Flores Shipping and related companies to undergo members’ voluntary liquidation

Photo credit: Benjamin-child
Published: 17 March, 2025

Four Dutch crew members of Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima, which crashed into a Singapore-flagged bunker vessel in 2024 and caused a major bunker spill in Singapore, on Wednesday (12 March) pleaded guilty for failing to discharge their duties properly, according to media reports. 

Merijn Heidema, 26, Eric Peijpers, 56, Martin Hans Sinke, 48, and Richard Ouwehand, 49, pleaded guilty to one charge each under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 at the State Courts. 

Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour was hit by Vox Maxima at Pasir Panjang Terminal on 14 June last year, which resulted in an oil spill in Singapore waters.

The crash caused one of Marine Honour’s oil cargo tanks to rupture, releasing 400 metric tonnes (mt) of low-sulphur fuel oil into the sea. 

The dredger lost propulsion and steering control before crashing into Marine Honour.

Court documents reportedly revealed that on the morning of 14 June 2024, a circuit breaker controlling the flow of electrical power from one of the dredger’s main generators to a step-down transformer was opened for maintenance works to be conducted.

The circuit breaker remained open after the maintenance works were completed that morning. 

Peijpers, a second engineer, and Heidema, a third engineer, who were the officers in charge of the engineering watch at the time, did not check the condition of the circuit breakers.

This eventually led to another circuit breaker tripping, which then led to the loss of steering and propulsion control of the dredger.

Heidema and Peijpers also failed to ensure a sufficient reserve of power was available for Vox Maxima’s steering gear when the engine room was put in a standby condition.

Upon the loss of steering control, both Ouwehand and Sinke, who were responsible to carry out emergency steering, did not do so.

The prosecution sought fines of between SGD 40,000 and SGD 50,000 each for Heidema and Peijpers and fines between SGD 20,000 and SGD 30,000 each for Ouwehand and Sinke.

The four Dutch crew members are expected to be sentenced on 2 April.

Related: Four Dutch seafarers charged for alleged roles in causing Singapore oil spill
Related: Thirteen deficiencies flagged during inspection for dredger involved in Singapore oil spill
Related: Singapore oil spill: Minister refutes claim that contractor was slow in preventing further spillage
Related: MPA: Claims exceeding liability of “Marine Honour” owner will be made against international fund
Related: MPA: Owner of bunker tanker involved in Singapore oil spill is liable for pollution damage
Related: Malaysia to look into demands of Johor fisherman affected by oil spill from Singapore
Related: Singapore oil spill: Clean-up enters next phase of cleaning rock bunds
Related: MPA: Clean-up ops continue following oil spill in Singapore, affected beaches closed
Related: Singapore: Oil spill cleanup after allision between dredger “Vox Maxima” and bunker tanker “Marine Honour”

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 13 March, 2025