Malaysian attack ship sinks after collision with unknown object

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian authorities were working on Monday to salvage a 45-year-old fast attack craft that sank after colliding with an unidentified underwater object.

The navy said in a statement that a leak in the KD Pendekar's engine room was first discovered on Sunday, quickly flooding the ship. The crew failed to repair the hole and the 260-ton vessel sank underwater hours later off the coast of the southern state of Johor, it said. All 39 crew members were safely evacuated and there were no injuries.

“The leak was probably caused by the ship hitting an underwater object,” it said. Salvage operations are underway. An investigation into the cause of the incident has been launched, it said.

Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin on Monday ordered an inspection of all naval vessels over 40 years old, which make up at least a third of the Malaysian fleet. The Pendekar, built by the Swedish shipyard Karlskrona Varvet Shipyard, joined the Malaysian fleet in 1979.

“We do not deny that some of our ships are old, but that is probably not one of the reasons. And the most important thing is that fortunately no lives were lost,” Khaled was quoted as saying by the Malay-language newspaper Harian Metro.

Khaled said a fleet modernization effort is underway, including the construction of littoral combat ships, the first of which is expected to enter service in 2026. The ministry is also negotiating the purchase of coastal mission ships from Turkey, he said.