Tag: Langkawi

Posted on

KESEDARAN KEBAKARAN BOT DAN KAPAL MILIK PERSENDIRIAN PERLU DIPERTINGKATKAN

M.Y Pochea yang berusia 45 tahun sedang terbakar di perairan Pulau Langkawi, Kedah. Kapal layar mewah milik persendirian tersebut yang mempunyai panjang keseluruhan 75.15 meter telah alami kerosakan teruk dalam insiden tersebut.

Pada 5 Februari 2021, sebuah bot nelayan Kelas C telah musnah dalam satu kebakaran yang berlaku 16.6 batu nautika ke Barat Daya Sungai Besar, Selangor. Dalam kejadian jam 10.20 pagi tersebut, seorang awak-awak warganegara Myanmar telah melecur di 90 peratus bahagian badan manakala dua orang lagi awak-awak warga Myanmar dan tekongnya yang merupakan warganegara tempatan dapat diselamatkan Maritim Malaysia.

Pada 18 Februari 2021, sebuah kapal layar mewah, M.Y Pochea, telah terbakar di perairan Pulau Langkawi. Kesemua enam orang yang berada diatas kapal layar tersebut telah berjaya diselamatkan oleh Maritim Malaysia. Kapal layar tersebut telah dibina pada tahun 1976 dan berusia 45 tahun.

Kedua-dua insiden tersebut adalah di antara insiden-insiden kebakaran yang melibatkan bot-bot dan kapal-kapal di perairan Malaysia. Insiden yang paling masyhur ialah penenggelaman kapal mewah M.V Sun Vista 60 batu nautika ke arah Barat Daya Pulau Pinang pada 21 Mei 1999. setelah tidak dapat mengawal kebakaran yang berlaku. Kesemua lebih 1,100 orang anak kapal dan penumpang kapal sepanjang 214 meter tersebut terselamat.

Kapal tersebut berusia 36 tahun semasa kejadian berlaku.

Kebakaran di atas sebuah vesel (terminologi yang akan saya gunakan sepanjang penulisan saya untuk merujuk kepada semua jenis bot dan kapal) adalah sesuatu yang amat ditakuti. Api dapat merebak dengan begitu cepat sekali tanpa mengira sama ada vesel tersebut diperbuat daripada kayu mahupun besi.

Perolakan haba (heat convection) yang dihasilkan oleh kebakaran tersebut sama ada akan membakar terus kayu yang menjadi dinding di antara ruang dalam kapal dengan air laut, ataupun menyebabkan pengaliran haba (heat conduction) melalui besi badan kapal yang akan menyebabkan pembakaran (combustion) bahan mudah terbakar.

Kepanasan melampau akan menyebabkan peledingan badan serta bulkheads kapal. Ini menyebabkan penutupan pintu kedap air untuk membantu memendamkan kebakaran (fire suppression) menjadi mustahil.

Bagi kebakaran yang melibatkan vesel jenis kaca gentian (fibreglass), ianya lebih cenderung untuk mengeluarkan asap toksik yang berbahaya kepada anak-anak kapal.

APA YANG LAZIMNYA MENYEBABKAN KEBAKARAN DI ATAS VESEL?

Kebakaran di laut bukanlah sesuatu yang menghairankan. Namun, penyebabnya adalah hampir sama bagi kesemua kes, melainkan dalam kes-kes yang melibatkan jenayah khianat. Bagi kes bot nelayan di perairan pantai negeri Selangor di atas, kita tidak tahu usia sebenar bot tersebut. Namun, pembinaannya lebih bersifat tradisional. Kita tidak tahu juga sama ada kontraktor pendawaian yang digunakan adalah berdaftar. Kadangkala, bot nelayan dan lain-lain vesel juga ada jalankan pengubahsuaian pendawaian sama ada kerana menggantikan yang lama ataupun menambah peralatan yang tidak datang dengan keadaan asal vesel.

Litar arus terus (DC circuit), sambungan yang longgar ke bateri, suis serta pendawaian bateri yang lama dan berkarat, saluran bahanapi adalah di antara punca-punca berlakunya kebakaran vesel.

Selain itu, sebarang pendawaian yang sudah berusia melebihi 25 tahun seharusnya diganti dengan yang baharu semasa vesel menjalani major survey. Anggota kejuruteraan sesebuah kapal harus jadikan amalan memeriksa setiap pendawaian dan saluran bahanapi untuk rekahan salutan atau pelunturan warna salutan pendawaian dan saluran bahanapi sebagai satu kebiasaan.

Pemeriksaan teliti juga harus dilakukan ke atas kesemua pengapit saluran minyak supaya tidak ada yang terlalu longgar sehingga menyebabkan tumpahan bahanapi, dan tidak dipasang terlalu ketat sehingga ‘menggigit’ saluran bahanapi dan boleh menyebabkan kebocoran saluran bahanapi. Sebarang kebocoran boleh juga mengakibatkan pembentukan wasap petrol atau disel yang boleh mengakibatkan kebakaran atau letupan sekiranya bilge blower tidak dihidupkan atau tidak berfungsi dengan baik.

Satu lagi sebab utama kebakaran vesel yang lazim ialah tahap pengemasan dalam kapal adalah lemah (poor housekeeping). Kebakaran-kebakaran yang melibatkan kapal-kapal layar mewah jutaan Dollar seperti M.Y Barbie, M.Y The One, M.Y Lalibela, M.Y Pamela IV kesemua musnah dalam kebakaran yang disebabkan oleh tahap pengemasan yang lemah. Apa yang menyebabkan kebakaran M.Y Pochea pada 18 Februari 2021 belum kita ketahui. Tetapi adalah tidak menghairankan sekiranya puncanya adalah salah satu atau lebih sebab yang telah dibincangkan di atas.

KOMPETENSI ANAK KAPAL

Kalau kita amati video temuramah anak kapal M.Y Pochea yang disiarkan dalam laman Facebook Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia, kita dapat lihat reaksi anak-anak kapal yang agak kelam-kabut semasa berlakunya insiden tersebut. Semasa menonton video tersebut, saya rasakan kemungkinan mereka tidak diberi latihan yang sempurna yang memenuhi kehendak undang-undang maritim.

Sebagai contoh, anak-anak kapal terpaksa menggunakan baju T untuk dilambai untuk menarik perhatian kapal ronda Maritim Malaysia yang lalu berhampiran. Tiada disebut mengenai sistem pemendaman dan pemadaman api dihidupkan. Tiada juga disebut penggunaan radio VHF yang mempunyai Digital Selective Calling (DSC) untuk berhubung pihak Maritim Malaysia atau Pasukan Gerakan Marin PDRM untuk memohon bantuan. Tiada langsung disebut mengenai penggunaan suar merah untuk menarik perhatian vesel-vesel yang berdekatan dengannya.

M.Y Pochea adalah merupakan sebuah kapal layar mewah yang boleh membawa seramai 12 orang penumpang dan 13 orang anak kapal yang panjangnya melebihi 75 meter dan beratnya 530 tan metrik. Sekiranya ianya digunakan untuk sewaan komersil, maka ianya perlu patuhi banyak peraturan-peraturan maritim seperti COLREGS, Passenger Yacht Code, ITC, Ballast Water Management, BUNKERS, Konvensyen Buruh Maritim 2006, SOLAS Bahagian I, II, III, V, XI, STCW dan lain-lain. Sekiranya ianya tidak digunakan untuk tujuan komersil, ia masih perlu mematuhi kesemua di atas kecuali STCW, Konvensyen Buruh Maritim 2006, SOLAS Bahagian II, III, dan XI.

Ini bermakna pemilik M.Y Pochea wajib menentukan anak-anak kapal adalah terlatih, biasa dan mahir mengendalikan sistem dan kecemasan kebakaran dan lain-lain termasuk penggunaan alat radio untuk berhubung dengan mana-mana agensi yang boleh membantu. Sama ada latihan tersebut dilakukan secara berkala seperti yang dikehendaki oleh peraturan-peraturan dan undang-undang maritim atau tidak, hanya mereka yang terbabit boleh menjawab persoalan tersebut.

Insiden kebakaran yang berlaku keatas M.Y Pochea adalah sesuatu yang sangat menyedihkan. Anak-anak kapal tersebut agak bernasib baik dapat diselamatkan tanpa mengalami sebarang kecederaan yang boleh mengancam nyawa. Yang menyedihkan juga ialah tindakan-tindakan yang diambil oleh mereka langsung tidak mencerminkan bahawa mereka telah dilatih dengan secukupnya untuk mengendalikan kapal layar tersebut dengan selamat sama ada dalam pengoperasian biasa mahupun dalam keadaan kecemasan. Sekiranya latihan-latihan termasuk pengendalian kecemasan terus dipandang enteng oleh pemilik-pemilik, maka suatu hari nanti ianya akan memberi bahaya kepada lain-lain vesel di laut.

Dan sudah tentu anak-anak kapal tersebut bernasib baik kerana hadirnya Maritim Malaysia yang cekap memberi bantuan memadamkan kebakaran sambil menyelamatkan ketujuh-tujuh mereka.

Posted on

E-Hailing versus Taxi Drivers: An Endless Contention

MAHATHIR_MOHAMAD_1540128271
Mahathir reacts to the outburst by taxi drivers in Langkawi – courtesy of Sinar Harian

So, 10 Langkawi taxi drivers hurled abuses at the Prime Minister before walking out of the hall recently where they were to have a dialogue with the latter.

They were utterly dismayed at the government’s decision to allow E-hailing services, namely Grab, to continue its existence and complement the taxi services.

Their anger is understandable.  In March of last year, taxi drivers and owners staged a protest against the previous administration outside the Parliament building, for allowing Grab to operate, and were joined by the likes of Mahfuz Omar, Rafizi Ramli, while in 2015 Datin Seri Wan Azizah Ismail joined them at Padang Merbok.

Although the Prime Minister has denied ever wanting to abolish Grab and other E-Hailing services, the taxi drivers and owners feel as if the government has reneged on its promises to protect their interests.

Prior to the walk out last Sunday, there have been two rallies opposing Grab services organised by taxi drivers; one at Padang Merbok in July, and the latest was five days ago outside the Ministry of Finance.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, you would either have to go to a taxi stand, or call up a taxi stand to have a taxi sent to your location, or wait for one to pass by.  With the advent of radio taxi services in the 1980s, getting a taxi was similar but quicker as the taxi could be roaming near your neighbourhood.

Not much has changed since, but with mobile phones, if you know the taxi driver personally, you could call him or her to come pick you up.

E-Hailing is not much different.  You have a car owner, registered with Grab for example, who would choose on the software whether he or she would like to pick up a passenger who has hailed for a ride using his or her mobile device.

A destination is given and the car owner drives the passenger to the given destination. The fare is fixed; so unlike with taxi drivers, you do not get the last-minute discussion for extra payments.

You can either opt for a credit/debit card payment, or pay by cash.

But E-Hailing is more attractive to the passengers.  Besides having the fare fixed, you don’t need to conduct a cash transaction, they can pick you up from anywhere and drop you off at your choice of destination at any time of the day or night.

With E-Hailing, more and more partygoers would be willing to not drive at night, thus increasing the size of the cake in contention.

It is late at night when the dissatisfaction with taxi drivers is at its peak.

Try hailing a taxi in the middle of the night: if your destination does not conform to their desired location, they could refuse you or reject you.

More often than not, they would prefer not to use the meter and throw you a figure. That figure could be more if they suddenly tell you that they will ‘balik kosong’, meaning that it would be difficult for them to get a passenger in your area after dropping you off.

It is not easy to find an equilibrium where both services can co-exist without losing much to each other.

While it may be true that E-Hailing also takes a slice from the same cake, I doubt that any taxi driver has gone unemployed since the introduction of E-Hailing services.

Swedish-German economist at Oxford Martin School conducted a study in 2013 in cities in the US of the impact Uber has had on the income of taxi drivers.

He found that though it is true that the income of taxi drivers had been affected, the drop was in the region of 10 percent, while E-Hailing services had resulted in a 50-percent rise in the number of self-employed drivers.

Frey expressed that traditional jobs have not been displaced.

In the case of Langkawi, it is difficult to get a taxi, especially if you venture out to the less touristy places.

The Langkawi Craft Complex for example, is almost half an hour away from the taxi stand in Kuah, and 25 minutes away from the one at the Langkawi International Airport.

I doubt if anyone would get a taxi if they waited by the road side.

Perhaps the answer to the plight of the taxi drivers is to subscribe to an E-Hailing service of their own, much like the radio taxi service.

Pay a certain amount as annual fee to a management company, they can download the application, and charge by the meter, and the payment goes into an account, just like Grab or Uber.

Like their counterparts in Singapore, they should be able to accept credit and debit card payments, and passengers get to rate them as well.  I am sure that such an application could be produced.

That way, they have a level playing field with the other E-Hailing services drivers, and maintain the quality of their service.

With two-thirds of the world’s population due to live in cities by 2050, the cake will keep on growing for both taxis and E-Hailing services drivers.  A combination of private providers and public mass rapid systems will be the imminent scenario.

My only wish for now is for foldable bicycle owners to be allowed to bring their bicycle on board our trains during peak hours.

That would increase the ridership of the trains, while both E-Hailing and improved taxi systems complement the process by moving workers from office to meeting venues and back.

(This article was first published on The Mole)

Posted on

No Harapan

Last night, BigDog revealed that Mukhriz Mahathir did not receive a single nomination for any of ANSARA posts. This is a drastic change when he used to be the leading figurehead of ANSARA.

Compared to MCOBA, ANSARA is not politically-inclined at all save for some chapters. But even those Pakatan-leaning chapters did not nominate Mukhriz for any position.

When I advised the committee members of an Air Force veterans association to seek help from Mukhriz the Menteri Besar over an issue they were facing in Kedah, they shook their head saying they would rather seek help from the EXCOs or individual ADUNs as Mukhriz was not a performer.

Of course, Mukhriz has been making his rounds in his parliamentary constituency but even people there tell me that he hardly visited them when he was the MB. They dismissed it as a superficial attempt to show that he is still relevant.

He even visited Langkawi, where his own father is the self-appointed Ketua Pribumi, to tell people of his vision to develop Langkawi even further, including turning the padi patch behind the Ayer Hangat Cultural Village into a commercial area.

The problem is, the islanders are aware that for 22 years, Mukhriz’s father only brought development to the southern part of the island, enriching cronies and outsiders, giving them land, leaving people in the northern half to fend for themselves.

Just like Pulau Pinang, there is hardly a beach that locals could go to to enjoy.

Other than bitching about what BN does, they are also good at doing bad things like creating fear among the kampung folks by dishing out lies.

An example is the putting up of a land office map of several kampungs in Seri Medan with a crudely-drawn rectangle showing “the new alignment of the High Speed Rail” that will affect the respective kampungs. Not even people in the Johor Land and Housing committee have heard of such re-alignment of the HSR.

The District Land Office plan with a crudely-drawn rectangle to show realignment of the HSR being put up at a Chinese shop in Kampung Parit Warijo Lintang in Seri Medan

Although Pribumi has a foot in Kampung Parit Seri Menanti where a former UMNO man angered by not being given contracts had set up a Pribumi branch, the party has made a base out of Kampung Sri Bengkal’s favourite Soto Kambing joint in nearby Parit Yob which is operated by a housewife and her amputee husband.


But seeing the number of likes and comments on the Instagram page belonging to a high-ranking Pribumi official shows that the 1.5 million signatures of a petition presented by Pribumi AMANDA’s Syed Sajat is nothing but a fabrication.


Of late,  even Pakatan-organised talks cannot muster the same crowds as they used to. A sign that people are weary of the amount of bitching the Pakatan has been doing instead of spending time and taxpayers’ money in the form of their allowances to do good for the rakyat.

There may have been some crowd when Mahathir was in Kuching recently but you can hardly take that as a show for support. Even my BN-supporting relatives were there “to see what the fuss is all about” and to see what stallowners have to offer.

See how the latest Pakatan talk fared.

Even the President of Pribumi who claimed he was expelled from UMNO for fighting against the alleged excessiveness of Najib Razak, could muster a handful at his talks.


This is the sorry state of support that the Pakatan could muster. It tells a lot. Maybe they should save the trouble first before saving Malaysia.

Posted on

Defence: LIMA Must Be Industry-Driven

Condensation forms over the leading edges of an RMAF F/A-18D Hornet as it makes a high-speed maneuver

The 14th edition of the biennial Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition ended last week leaving many in awe of the performances and displays in both the aerospace and maritime segments.  Kudos to the EN Projects Sdn Bhd as the main organiser and also to the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Transport as well as the supporting government agencies.

The 14th edition of LIMA saw an increase in the number of exhibitors compared to LIMA ’15.  555 exhibitors participated this time compared to 512 in 2015. While 39, 689 trade visitors visited LIMA ’15, 40,280 trade visitors were at LIMA ’17, surpassing the target of 40,000 trade visitors. 139,478 public visitors were at LIMA ’15.  The target for this edition was 140,000 public visitors. Surprisingly, 236,689 public visitors visited this year’s LIMA – 104,557 visitors on the first open day, and 132,132 on the final day making a total of 276,969 visitors to LIMA ’17.

It must have been a boon to the Langkawi economy to have that increase in the number of visitors over five days and definitely helpful to the small traders especially in the Padang Matsirat, Pantai Cenang, Pantai Tengah, Kedawang, and Kuah areas.

A special commendation should be given to the Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force and Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy for lending their support in driving the industries as well as foreign armed forces’ participation in all the activities during LIMA 17.

QUALITY OF EXHIBITORS

His Royal Highness The Sultan of Selangor visiting one of the exhibition booths

From my personal observation, since the 13th edition of LIMA there has been an inreasing number of unrelated government agencies and companies exhibiting at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre such as the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and a Private Limited printing company!

Unless there is a masterplan to annouce Langkawi as an aviation and maritime hub, I do not see the relevancy in having LADA at the aviation exhibition hall.  MARA would be relevant if it provides assistances for students to study maritime or aeronautical-related studies or for local small and medium enterpreneurs to participate in the local maritime and aviation industry which is rather limited.

What did not happen was for local universities to showcase their research projects in order to secure fundings from local and foreign aviation and maritime giants.  LIMA would be a perfect platform for local universities to showcase their research in both the industries.

Local shipbuilders, other than the local giants in the defence sector, were largely missing from the exhibition.  Local shipbuilders are mainly into constructing oil and gas and transportation of cargo, crude and gas products should have showcased their capabilities at LIMA.  This is where the Ministry of Transport could help in getting the participation of more civilian-transport applications providers to exhibit at LIMA.

Kudos should also be given to both the Minister of Defence as well as the Minister for Youth and Sports in driving the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) programmes for the youth at LIMA.  LIMA should also be about providing avenues for the youth to participate in the aviation and maritime industries.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin and YB Khairy Jamaluddin at the Defence Dialogue and Press Conference TN50 during LIMA ’17

LESSONS FROM THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

The Malaysian Oil and Gas industry has its biennial Asian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Engineering (OGA) Exhibition and is into its 16th edition this year.  Unlike LIMA, OGA is fully industry-driven.  The event is supported by the British-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, Malaysian Gas Association, Malaysian Offshore Contractors Association, Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation, Offshore Support Vessels Owners Association and the Malaysia Oil and Gas Services Council.

LIMA is co-organised by EN Projects Sdn Bhd and the Ministry of Defence, supported by five ministries, the Malaysian Armed Forces, Royal Malaysian Police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Fire and Rescue Services Department, and the Royal Malaysian Customs.  I am surprised that none of the industry councils and associations play the supporting role instead of just collaborating role.

We have so many defence and security contractors yet they all have to rely on the ministries and agencies above to put together an event for them to participate.  Why does the government have to do the hard selling on their behalf?  Isn’t it time, after 14 editions, for the industry players themselves to come together and become the co-organisers or event supporters?

Lined up at sea off Tanjung Malai were military vessels or vessels chartered by the military. I did not see a single vessel from the Malaysia Shipowners’ Association, or civilian and military boatbuilders showcasing their products at sea.

LIMA could be bigger than just a military/security party.  Airlines did not send their aircraft this time around.  At LIMA ’15 there was an Airbus A320-200 belonging to Air Asia.  This was absent at LIMA ’17.  Imagine a daily flypast of aircraft – perhaps an arrowhead formation with an Airbus A380 followed by an Airbus A330 and A320 flanked  by Boeing 737-800s and Boeing 737-900s, followed by a smaller diamond four formation of ATR-72s.

The above will never happen unless industry players take the lead in supporting LIMA.

OPPORTUNITIES

For the Royal Malaysian Air Force, opportunities to replace the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29N comes in the form of the Dassault Rafale.  LIMA ’17 saw Dassault Aviation pulling no punches when promoting the Rafale for Malaysia.  LIMA ’17 was followed by a visit by French President Francoise Hollande who also put the sale of the Dassault Rafale to Malaysia on the agenda.  Although Malaysia had said that it was not time to purchase the Rafale, it is important to note that the F/A-18D Hornets will be 30 years old in 10 years while the Sukhoi Su-30MKM will be in its 20th year of service in the RMAF.

The other interesting Euro-Canard contender is the Saab JAS-39 Gripen.  The Royal Thai Air Force’s Gripen participated in the aerobatic display in the first four days.  Touted as a more affordable but equally potent as the Dassault Rafale, the Gripen’s cost would prove to be an attractive candidate to replace the MiG-29N.

At LIMA ’15, Saab had offered the Malaysian government a lease deal for 16 JAS-39C/D Gripens.

However, the tragedy involving a RTAF JAS-39 Gripen that killed its pilot earlier this year still plays in everyone’s mind.  The Gripen was performing in Hatyai for the Thai Children’s Day.  Footage of the accident shows the Gripen starting a slow aileron roll; once inverted, the aircraft fails to complete the maneuver, stops rolling and takes a nosedive crashing near the airfield’s runway.

There has been ten accidents involving the Gripen with nine hull losses and one fatality.  At least two of the accidents have been attributed to Flight Control Software issues.  The incident in Hatyai is still being investigated.

Of course there is also the option to upgrade the surviving 16 MiG-29Ns as a stop-gap mesure. At LIMA ’15, Malaysia’s Aerospace Technology Systems Corporation offered upgrades that would only be a fraction of the cost of purchasing new MRCAs.

The upgraded aircraft will be called the MiG-29NM and will include a Zhuk-ME FGM-229 slotted phased-array fire control radar that will provide an air-to-ground capability not available on the baseline aircraft, which are optimized for the air defense role.

The avionics system incorporates a night vision goggle-compatible glass cockpit, with two color multifunction displays and hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) functionality.

Weapons systems and pylons will be upgraded, making the MiG-29NM capable of carrying the full range of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons available to Malaysia’s Su-30s.

The Klimov RD-33 Series 3 engines of the MiG-29N will remain, but a conformal fuel tank added to the spine of the aircraft, together with an extra ventral tank, will increase operational range by 30 percent.

Malaysia, however, had declined this offer deemed expensive.

It would be interesting to note that other than the Indian Air Force, the Myanmar Air Force had also recently upgraded its MiG-29s at RAC MiG facilities near Moscow.  This upgrade, said to be cheaper than what was initially offered to Malaysia, is now being offered to both Malaysia and Bangladesh which operates eight MiG-29B and is also seeking upgrades.

It would be interesting to see what the government’s decision on the MiG-29Ns would be.

Opportunities such as this is what local companies should get involved with. The aerospace industry that had taken off with the introduction of LIMA still remains status quo.  Indonesia has gone on commercial production with its aircraft lines while we are stil struggling to even produce components that would be accepted internationally.

MOVING FORWARD

LIMA is here to stay.  Other than the Singapore Air Show, this is one that is looked at in this region.  While the Singapore Air Show is huge, LIMA is just of the right size for mission-specific companies to participate in.  It is just unfortunate that the industry is not helping out to drive the show instead of relying on the government’s goodwill.

Hopefully EN Projects Sdn Bhd together with the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Transport would flog the industry players to play a much bigger role in helping to drive LIMA into the exhibition every global industry player would look forward to.

 

Posted on

Defence: LIMA ’17 Roars In Langkawi

Three RMAF Airbus A400M aircraft perform a fly pass at the LIMA ’17 exhibition

Defence expenditure is likely to rise as this region and beyond continue to face traditional and non-traditional threats.  The role of the defence industry is also changing dramatically, as new and changing threats require further research and development, increasing the overall costs and pricing of defence products and services.

This was the gist of the message conveyed by Dato’ Sri Najib Razak, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, at the opening ceremony of the Langkawi International Aerospace and Maritime 2017 (LIMA ’17) exhibition this morning.

“We need to equip our fighting men with the capabilities required to face modern warfare, both symmetrical and asymmetrical, and LIMA ’17 brings together major aerospace and maritime firms from around the world to demonstrate their state-of-the-art static and aerial displays and cutting-edge technologies,” he added.

One of the exhibitors, Leonardo Helicopter Division, a division of the Leonardo S.p.A that is headquartered in Italy, celebrated today the successful reaching of the impressive 100,000 flying hours milestone with the Weststar Aviation Services’s AW139 fleet.

Weststar Aviation Services is the largest South East Asian offshore helicopter services provider and largest helicopter operator of the AW139 in Asia.

Dato’ Sri Najib Razak visiting one of the booths at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Center in Langkawi after the opening of LIMA ’17

Leonardo has also brought the ATR-72MP aircraft which is being proposed for Malaysia’s requirement for an advanced new maritime patrol capability.  In the Electronics Warfare segment, Leonardo has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hensoldt (the new name for Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security) to offer Mode-5 IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) solutions to customers around the world. This collaboration between two European leaders in defence electronics technology shows how, by joining forces, the team can position itself as market leader for cutting-edge new requirements. The two companies, working together as “Team Skytale”, have already been selected as preferred bidder by the UK Ministry of Defence to upgrade IFF systems on more than 400 land, sea and air vehicles.

The ATR 72MP is a multirole Maritime Patrol, Electronic Surveillance and C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) aircraft with very affordable costs, developed and built by Leonardo’s Aircraft Division from the platform of the modern ATR 72-600 regional turboprop (pic courtesy of Leonardo Company)

The IFF technology allows operators to electronically identify friendly forces, distinguishing them from potential enemies. It does this by sending out an interrogation signal to unidentified platforms and verifying the automatic responses that are sent back, effectively a modern-day challenge and password system. Ensuring that ground, air and naval crews can reliably recognise their compatriots is one of the main ways of avoiding ‘friendly fire’ incidents. In 2020, all NATO nations are mandated to switch over to the new, more-secure ‘Mode-5’ version of the technology and other nations looking to operate alongside NATO forces will also need to be able to interact with the new standard. Mode-5 uses the latest cryptographic techniques to avoid the threat of deception by adversaries.

In another development, Thales has been selected by AirAsia to supply avionics systems on AirAsia’s new fleet of 304 A320neos.  Thales will equip the 304 single-aisles with its market leading Flight Management System (FMS), the navigation solution of choice for Airbus aircraft, alongside the THALES/ACSS T3CAS surveillance platform, the preferred solution for all Airbus single aisle aircraft.

AirAsia’s Airbus A320neo (pic courtesy of Economy Traveller)

Thales has been partnering with AirAsia, leading LCC in Asia, since 2005, forging a close relationship in support of the airline’s growth strategy. AirAsia already equips their entire Airbus fleet with Thales systems and has selected the group for all maintenance and support operations for Thales systems equipped across their entire A320 fleet of 200 aircraft. In addition to the avionics suite, Thales will continue to provide a Repair-by-The-Hour (RBTH) long-term maintenance contract to support AirAsia’s fleet expansion.  The agreement provides guaranteed turnaround times on repairs and offers a commitment of reliability with reduced operational risk.

Malaysia Minister of Defence, Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, meets with representatives from five countries to discuss asymmetrical threats by Da’esh

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Minister of Defence, Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, met with representatives from five countries including Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia and Qatar to present his view on how to combat the Da’esh threats.  The establishment of the King Salman Center of International Peace was also on the agenda of this meeting.

The RoKAF Black Eagles performing the “Bomb Burst” formation over Langkawi

Making its debut in Langkawi is the Republic of Korea Air Force’s 53rd Air Demonstration Group.  Commonly known as the “Black Eagles” the RoKAF team buzzed the skies of Langkawi in their KAI T-50B Golden Eagle supersonic advanced trainers.  The T-50B is one of the few supersonic trainers currently available in the world.

The Russians is well-represented.  The “Russian Knights (Russkiye Vityazi)” aerobatic team showcasing their Sukhoi Su-30SM aircraft for the first time outside Russia, while the Royal Malaysian Air Force performs aerobatics in its Sukhoi Su-30MKM.

The air aces of the two countries, whose performances constantly evoke admiration of the audience, highly praised the flight characteristics of their supermanouverable aircraft.

President of Irkut Corporation Oleg Demchenko marked the high skills of pilots and their ability to use the maximum extent of the fighter’s capabilities while First vice-president of UAC Alexander Tulyakov said: “Positive evaluation of aircraft given by pilots is very important for us – the developers and manufacturers”.

The meeting resulted with a joint photo shoot against the background of Su-30SM and Su-30MKM aircraft.

Sukhoi Su-30 pilots from the Russian Knights and the RMAF’s No.11 Squadron pose together

Russian’s Rostec State Corporation is working with the government of Malaysia to expand cooperation through the supply of civilian products and aviation.

“Over the last 20 years Malaysia has been a strategic partner of the Rostec State Corporation. We are actively involved in military and technical cooperation in a number of areas: aviation, the army and the military navy, and in recent years our cooperation has gained momentum.  We are currently engaged in arms supply programs and are upgrading technology that was previously supplied to Malaysia.

We are also looking to extending our cooperation to civil areas that have growth potential: electronics, composite materials and IT. The civil aviation market, especially the helicopter sector, is also showing great potential for us,” said Head of the joint delegation from Rostec and Rosoboronexport at the 2017 LIMA exhibition Viktor Kladov, Director for International Cooperation and Regional Policy Department of the State Corporation.

“LIMA-2017 is the most important event for the aviation and military navy markets of Malaysia and the surrounding region and our participation in it is a long-standing tradition. LIMA-2017 is attracting representatives of various countries of this region and we are looking to conducting fruitful negotiations both with the Malaysian Government and delegations from other countries,” he pointed out.

In the afternoon, the Prime Minister Najib Razak officiated the Maritime Segment which also involved major exhibitors such as THALES, MAST, ACS and SAAB, showcasing the latest technologies in defence products and a demonstration by the elite forces of Malaysia’s security enforcement agencies.

This year’s opening gimmick had the elite forces searching for a box containing a key for the Prime Minister to activate the launch sequence. The key was located using technologically-advanced, unmanned equipment that assisted the forces, including from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), and was handed over to the Chief of Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Haji Ahmad Badaruddin who then handed it to the Prime Minister.

Following the launch, a live action demonstration from the RMN Special Forces, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the Royal Malaysian Police and the Marine Department of Malaysia with the setting being a hostage rescue mission at sea.

Demonstration by the Royal Malaysian Navy’s special forces, the Marine Operations Force of the Royal Malaysian Police, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Marine Department performs a demonstration

Later, Najib officiated the naming ceremony of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s latest Offshore Patrol Vessel, the “KM Pekan”.  In attendance were Defence Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein as well as Japan’s Deputy Minister of Land Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism, Tanaka Ryosei.

The “KM Pekan” is one of two offshore patrol vessels donated by the Japanese government to the MMEA in 2016.  Both vessels are 92 meters in length with speed of 20 knots and endurance of 30 days, suitable for enforcement missions in the South China Sea as well as in eastern Sabah.  Both are equipped with a helideck and state-of-the-art radars.

According to the Director-General of the MMEA, Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Seri Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar, a set of crew has been sent to Japan to bring home the second vessel.

For yesterday’s article, please click Defence: LIMA ’17 To Be More Exciting

Posted on

Defence: LIMA ’17 To Be More Exciting

The Langkawi Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2017 will be more exciting than the previous editions because there is a marked increase in floor space as a result of the re-introduction of the Maritime Segment at the Resorts World, Langkawi.

There will be the array of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) that will be on display such as the United States Air Force MQ-1 Predator, United States Navy MQ-8 Fire Scout, Thales Fulmar Mini-UAV, SAAB AUV 62AT, and the TBN UAV from Ukraine.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) will be debuting the newly-received offshore patrol vessel ‘KM Pekan’ donated by the Japanese government.

LIMA ’17 has confirmed 555 exhibitors from 36 countries and is expecting over 180,000 trade and public visitors from all over the world. LIMA ’17 will be held from 21 to 25 March 2017 in Langkawi. This year will mark the 14th edition in its 27 year history and is expected to be the best and biggest one to date.

Irkut Corporation of Russia will be featuring the Russian Air Force’s aerobatic team ‘Russian Knights’ in their spanking new Sukhoi Su-30SM.  This would be the return of the Russian Knights’ to LIMA and their first tour outside the Russian Federation in the Su-30SMs.

Sukhoi Su-30SMs of the Russian Knights at the Langkawi International Airport

Irkut will also be featuring its scout/attack helicopter, the Kamov Ka-25 “Alligator.”

Irkut Corporation will be featuring aircraft models of the entire Irkut product line will be presented at the UAC stand: the Su-30SME fighter, the Yak-130 and Yak-152 training aircraft, and the new MC-21 commercial liner.

Irkut Corporation comes under the Russian pavillion which is under the charge of JSC Rosoboronexport, which is a part of the Rostec State Corporation. Rosoboronexport is in-charge of the united Russian stand at LIMA’17 showcasing over 500 products from 20 enterprises of the defence industry complex of the Russian Federation.

LIMA’ 17 also serves as the perfect platform to encourage further co-operation between Malaysia and regional & global allies in both the maritime and aerospace industries, specifically on asset acquisition as Armed Forces around the world are modernizing their asset bases. For example, the Chiefs of Navy Roundtable Talk at LIMA’17 this year will bring together 12 Chiefs of Navy and 24 representatives to discuss about “Naval Capability Based Acquisition Reform”. Subsequently, the LIMA’17 Air Chiefs Conference will also be taking a similar approach this year, and the attending Chiefs of Air Force and other senior air delegations will be tackling the “Air Force Capability Based Acquisition Reform”.

The Ministers of Defence and Transport viewing the preparations at the Maritime Segment before the Press Conference cum High Tea on board the Royal Malaysian Navy frigate KD Jebat

Another first for LIMA 17 will be the involvement of youths from across the country. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, together with the Ministry of Defence have invited over 500 young individuals from Briged Sukarelawan Khidmat Negara (BSKN), Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Perlis, Parlimen Belia Malaysia, iM4U, Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMS), Majlis Belia Malaysia (MBM) and our Reserve Officer Training Unit (PALAPES). They will be attending a Comprehensive Educational Tour throughout LIMA ’17 and attend engagement sessions with leaders in the defence sector. On the final day, a Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50) Townhall Dialogue on defence to encourage the youth to play a larger role and capture their aspirations about the future of Malaysia’s security.

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM — A B-1B Lancer soars over the Pacific Ocean after air refueling training here Sept. 30. The B1B Bomber is deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as part of the Pacific Commands continuous bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region, enhancing regional security and the U.S. commitment to the Western Pacific. The B1 is from the 37th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)

Other than the Russian Knights, the Black Eagles, the aerobatic team of the Republic of Korea Air Force will be making a first-time appearance this LIMA. The Black Eagles’ performance involves 9 KAI – T50B jet aircrafts. LIMA 2017 will also see the TNI-AU’s Jupiter as part of the aerobatic demonstrations on show. Our very own Royal Malaysian Air Force’s SU-30 MKM and F/A 18D jets, the Rafale from France, the Gripen 39C/D from Thailand and 2 Supersonic B-1 Bombers from the United States Air Force will also perform flypasts during the exhibition.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-30MKM will be performing solo aerial displays throughout the five-day exhibition in Langkawi

Posted on

Lagi Pembohongan

Kalau ikut Mahathir, macam-macam dah kena tutup kini. Namun, seperti yang didakwa Alexandria Luger, Mahathir akan masuk neraka kerana kerap berbohong.

Hari ini Mahathir berbohong lagi. Dia kata Forest City memberi hakmilik tanah kekal kepada para pembeli.

Rasanya dah berbuih dah penerangan diberikan mengenai perkara ini. Bhaiya Bangladesh kontrak mungkin telah faham sefahamnya akan penerangan tersebut. Tetapi sebab penerangan ini bukan diberikan dalam bahasa ibunda beliau maka agak sukar bagi beliau memahami.

Ahli Parlimen Sekijang terpaksa terangkan sekali lagi bahawa yang hakmilik kekal adalah hartanah strata. Dua bulan lepas pun DYMM Sultan Johor dah terangkan perkara yang sama.

Nak diterangkan dalam bahasa apa lagi?

Kemudian, Najib Razak pula yang dipersalahkan. Bukankah Forest City perihal tanah negeri Johor? Apa kena-mengena dengan kerajaan pusat? Masing-masing negeri ada unit perancang ekonominya sendiri.

Kenapa tak salahkan Tuanku Sultan Johor? Tak berani macam rakan sekapal beliau?

Memang Forest City bakal mendapat status bebas cukai. Apa masalahnya? Langkawi juga masih pulau bebas cukai.

Kalau Mahathir gunakan Internet sewajarnya dan bukan untuk menyebarkan fitnah semata-mata maka beliau pasti mengetahui bahawa kenyataan beliau bahawa status bebas cukai Langkawi akan ditarik balik hanyalah pembohongan yang nyata.

Apa yang diumum kerajaan adalah hanya kedai-kedai berlesen sahaja yang akan dibenarkan menjual barangan rokok dan arak bebas cukai di Langkawi.

Begitu juga langkah untuk meminta pemilik kenderaan yang berdaftar di Langkawi mengemukakan jaminan bank sebelum boleh dibenarkan membawa kenderaan mereka keluar dari pulau tersebut. Ini adalah untuk mengatasi kepincangan yang berlaku sejak sekian lama.

Siapakah yang telah menjual sebegitu banyak tanah orang tempatan Langkawi kepada para kroni suatu ketika dahulu? Siapa yang mengambil tanah 80 penduduk Melayu Pantai Gelang, Langkawi untuk dijadikan resort? 

Mengenai pinjaman oleh warga China pula, itu semua cerita basi yang diulang berkali-kali. Saya maafkan beliau. Bercerita sesuatu berulang kali ini ada hubungkaitnya dengan penyakit nyanyuk. Mungkin suatu hari nanti beliau akan memandang kepada anak beliau dan bertanya, “Hang apanama?” berkali-kali juga.

Sebenarnya saya kasihankan beliau. Pernah disanjung ramai suatu masa dahulu tetapi pernah ditolak sebagai perwakilan oleh Bahagian sendiri semasa masih dalam parti angkat beliau, UMNO. Namun beliau masih tidak sedarkan diri.

Kini beliau hanya mampu merangkak sambil menjilat kahak hijau yang diludahnya dahulu sambil ditunggangi oleh joki-joki yang mengharapkan kemenangan seekor kaldai tua.

Sudah-sudahlah berbohong. Kita tak boleh hidup selama-lamanya. Janganlah diikuti perangai Rafizi. Beliau rasa beliau masih muda.

Jangan sampai anda digelar SOTUN pula.

Posted on

LIMA 2015 Begins With A Bang

Two days before the opening ceremony of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace 2015 (LIMA 2015), two KT-1B Wongbee aicraft belonging to the Indonesian Air Force’s Jupiter Aerobatic Team clipped wings in what seemed to be an “opposing solo” maneuver and crashed off site, with one aircraft hitting the ground causing two houses to catch fire. All four pilots ejected safely.

The Yogyakarta-based team are here in Langkawi to perform at LIMA 2015 and were practising when the incident occured. All pilots are safe while no injury has been reported on the ground.  The pilots were evacuated by a RMaF EC-725 and the Fire and Rescue Services Department’s Mi-172 helicopters.

This is the second incident involving aerobatic teams during practice for a LIMA series. In 1991, a RMAF Pilatus PC-7 from the Tamingsari aerobatics team crashed into the back of a house in Kepala Batas, Alor Setar, Kedah while performing a twinkle at the end of a “bomb burst” formation for the inaugural LIMA exhibition. The pilot died on the spot.

The aerial displays will carry on in spite of the incident.









Sources of photos: Twitter, Agendadaily and Berita Harian.

In a related development, the Defence Minister of Malaysia, Hishammuddin Hussein, and the Defence Minister of Indonesia, Gen (Rtd) Ryamizard Ryacudu, visited the pilots who are being treated at the Langkawi Hospital.  Both Malaysia and Indonesia will conduct a joint investigation into the incident.





Source of photo: Malaysian Ministry of Defence