Pulau redang: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a passenger boat found to be carrying more than the permitted number of passengers during a patrol operation in the waters off Pulau Redang yesterday. Terengganu MMEA director Maritime Captain Hamiludin Che Awang stated that the boat was detained at about 3 pm, some 26 nautical miles from the mouth of Kuala Terengganu, after it was spotted carrying a large number of passengers.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, an inspection revealed that the boat was carrying 25 passengers, exceeding its licensed capacity of only 12 as stipulated in its valid licence. This situation posed a safety risk to all passengers in the event of an emergency at sea. The boat was operated by three crew members aged between 19 and 23, and it was noted that some of them were not wearing life jackets.

All passengers were safely disembarked, while the boat and its crew were detained and taken to the Terengganu MMEA jetty for further investigation under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 for breaching licence conditions.