Penang: A total of 10 warships from ASEAN countries arrived at the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) here today to attend events in conjunction with Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship 2025. Seven of the warships are from ASEAN countries, and three are from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), bringing about 1,600 naval personnel in total.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, a survey found that three RMN warships - KD Kedah, measuring 91 metres in length; KD Lekiu at 106.5 metres; and KD Lekir at 98 metres - arrived ahead of the other vessels at the SPCT. Following closely were RSS Vigour from Singapore, UMS King Sin Phyu Shin from Myanmar, BRP Antonio Luna from the Philippines, KRI Bung Tomo from Indonesia, VPNS Quang Trang from Vietnam, HTMS Krabi from Thailand, and KPD Darulaman from Brunei.
The warships docked at SPCT between 9.15 am and 1.45 pm, greeted with military traditions, a band performance, and an RMN delegation. A survey of the Padang Kota area revealed that many people took the chance to witness the warships' arrival, capturing the event with recordings.
Visitors have the opportunity to tour the docked warships on Sunday, August 17, to view the capabilities and technologies of these regional navy vessels firsthand. Penang is poised to be the focal point for regional maritime defence as the RMN hosts three major ASEAN naval events from August 15-22 under Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship 2025.
The events include the 19th ASEAN Navy Chiefs' Meeting (ANCM), the Third ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (AMNEX), and the ASEAN Fleet Review (AFR), with activities planned across George Town and Batu Ferringhi. ANCM Working Committee deputy chairman Rear Admiral Datuk Mohd Fadzli Kamal Mohd Mohaldin had previously noted that the programme would commence today with the arrival of ASEAN warships at SPCT.
The AMNEX Opening Ceremony and its third 'Port Phase' are scheduled for August 16, allowing naval officers to finalize plans for joint sea exercises. Additionally, the RMN will host the Naval Engineering Conference (NEC), a forum for regional naval engineers to discuss innovations under the theme 'Innovation and Technology Towards Improving Ship Survivability at Sea'.
A public highlight is the ASEAN Navies' City Parade (ANCP), an RMN initiative to promote naval military traditions, scheduled for August 17 at Esplanade in Padang Kota Lama, coinciding with Penang's Hari Buletin 4.0 event. The parade commemorates the historic May 1990 International Royal Fleet Review, which saw 59 warships and over 11,000 naval personnel visit Penang.