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Missing Malaysian navy gunboat found

KUALA LUMPUR — A Royal Malaysian Navygunboat that had been reported missing in rough seas off Sabah’s coastline since Sunday has been found, navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar confirmed yesterday evening, to the relief of a country still recovering from two airline tragedies this year.

KUALA LUMPUR — A Royal Malaysian Navygunboat that had been reported missing in rough seas off Sabah’s coastline since Sunday has been found, navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar confirmed yesterday evening, to the relief of a country still recovering from two airline tragedies this year.

Admiral Abdul Aziz said search-and-rescue operators had established connection with the gunboat off eastern Sabah on Borneo island and all seven crew members on board are safe.

“Boat CB204: Lt Azri, Boat Commander, informed … that the boat and crew members are safe but starving,” he wrote using the @ChiefofNavy Twitter handle, referring to the vessel’s name and its commander Lieutenant Azri Bakar.

Earlier yesterday afternoon, Admiral Abdul Aziz tweeted that the search team — comprising six ships and three aircraft — had picked up a distress signal from the vessel, which reportedly had engine and steering-gear problems.

The highly mobile gunboat lost contact on Sunday morning, hours after leaving the navy base in Kota Kinabalu with another fast-attack craft on a routine sea patrol.

A Malaysian Meteorological Department spokesman said the sea was rough, with waves rising up to 3.5m at the time. Bad weather continued to hamper search efforts after the vessel went missing.

As news of the missing gunboat spread early yesterday, Malaysians across the country expressed disbelief at another possible tragedy following the loss of two Malaysia Airlines jets this year — flight MH370, which is still missing after seven months, and flight MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July.

Sarawak’s Land Development Minister James Masing said: “We have enough of missing vessels — planes and now ship … I pray the missing gunship with its crew will be located soon.”

A Sarawak opposition lawmaker said the incident raises questions on how the Royal Malaysian Navy could prevent such incidents from recurring. “Whatever the cause for this incident, it shows the defence of Sabah’s eastern seaboard is still wanting,” said Baru Bian, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat chief in Sarawak. AGENCIES

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