CMMI Slams Pirate Attack in Malacca Straits; Master Stabbed

The Master of the MV Merchia, a Marshall Islands flagged bulker, was seriously hurt during a stabbing incident following a boarding by pirates in the Malacca Straits, near Singapore. The victim of this horrific attack is reportedly in a stable condition. He was taken ashore to Singapore for treatment.

According to Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre for the region was notified of a boarding and robbery on at 0430 hours on 3rd November. The vessel was located outside of Singapore’s territorial seas and was headed east for Singapore.

Gory pictures of the attack are doing the rounds in social media.

Condemning this incident, the Chairman of The Company of Master Mariners of India, (CMMI) Capt MP Bhasin said, “This violent crime against a fellow seafarer and Captain of a ship is of grave concern to us, and we express our deepest sympathy to the victim while praying for his early recovery.”

The CMMI General Secretary, Capt Vivek Bhandarkar, added, “We condemn this heinous act, and we will raise this issue of security of ship’s staff to the right platforms where it can be addressed in an effective manner.

After all, if seafarers are to remain effective ‘Essential Personnel’, their safety cannot be ignored. This state of affairs is completely unacceptable.”

Personal details and nationality of the victim are not available at this time.

Pirate boardings are a frequent occurrence in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, and violence against ship’s crew is not uncommon. While on the one side verses are sung to the bravery and selfless work of seafarers, particularly during the Covid pandemic when they kept shipping lanes operational and supply chains uninterrupted, such heinous crimes against seafarers often go unchecked along the coasts of many nations.

On October 23 and 24 this year, two other incidents occurred, both involving several male robbers carrying knives. One of the instances resulted in the theft of ship’s stores.

All told, at least 62 incidents of armed robbery have been reported in the Straits since January 2023, including last Friday’s boarding.

Marex Media