By P. Vijian, NNN-Bernama,
Cochin, India : Malaysia’s first submarine, which is on its maiden voyage home to the naval base in Sepanggar Bay in the east Malaysian state of Sabah, has made a port call at the Indian naval dockyard here.
The Scorpene-class KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, which began its voyage from Toulon in France on July 9, transited at Jeddah and Djibouti, before reaching Cochin in the south east Indian state of Kerala on Tuesday.
In 2002, the Malaysian government signed an agreement to purchase two submarines, jointly built by DCNS of France and Spain’s Navantia at Cherbourg in France.
In January, the first submarine was handed over to the Royal Malaysian Navy at the naval base in Toulon.
An Indian navy patrol vessel, the INS Sujata, received the submarine and the naval band of INS Krishna gave them a warm reception.
No joint operation has been planned. “Only a football match will be played with Indian naval cadets. Indian naval officials were present to receive the sub’s crew,” a high-ranking official of the Indian navy’s Southern Command told Bernama.
After three days in Cochin, the diesel-powered submarine will depart for Lumut and Port Klang on peninsular Malaysia’s west coast before heading for Sepanggar in September.
The submarine, commanded by Commander Zulhelmy Ithnain, is sailing with 35 crew. It is named after Malaysia’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. –