RMN - Difficult Times called for Difficult Measure

Yesterday was a crazy day.  I nearly missed my flight due to my mistake of wrongly reading the flight schedule.  I had to huff and puff all the way to the airport with only 5 minutes to spare.



The only bright side of yesterday's flight, catching a glimpse of BM5, or Bunga Mas 5, RMN first merchant navy ship.

Bunga Mas 5, previously MV Bunga Mas 5, was originally part of MISC fleet.

The numerous hijackings by pirates in Gulf of Aden had also affected Malaysia.

ATM had formed a task force, led by RMN to Gulf of Aden to police the waters. It was a unilateral decision but received international support.

The embezzlement involving PSC Naval Dockyard forced the government to cut the planned procurement of 24 vessels to only 6 vessels forced the Navy to use alternative source to patrol the waters off Gulf of Aden.

Thus RMN with the assistance from the nascent MKN bought the MV Bunga Mas 5 and MV Bunga Mas 6 to be refitted into the Navy first 2 auxillary ships.

The ships, specifically Bunga Mas 5 has since provided return of investment when in 2011, it was involved in the rescue of MT Bunga Laurel from pirates.

Special operations personnel from both PASKAL and GGK were able to rescue the main boat together with a Fennec helicopter which had managed to suppressed the pirates on the mother-ship.

4 pirates were arrested and are on trial. While the fate of the pirates on the mother-ship was never disclosed.

It is always very difficult to quantify the returns from purchase of any types of military assets.  Because when they do, shit has already hit the fans.

Like insurance, you buy them in case of unfortunate turn of events pay a visit to you, but you will never enjoy the fruit of the insurance if you don't face these events.

Or like having an umbrella.  On a normal day, it seems to be a burden, but when it rains, you're appreciative of the umbrella for keeping you dry.

So here, the two photos I managed to take of Bunga Mas 5 travelling along Straits of Malacca and a photo from Malaysia Military Power (MMP).

Please note photos are blurry as it was taken from a flying Airbus using a Samsung Note 4 without any focusing equipment.