Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd (MMHE) successfully converted the Bunga Mas Lima, a 699 TEU containership belonging to MISC Berhad, to an Auxiliary Vessel for the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

Major job on Bunga Mas Lima carried out by MMHE include fabrication and installation of new items such as accommodation container cabin, mess room container cabin, armory storage container cabin, helicopter hangar and upgrading of sewage system, accommodation cabins, PAGA System, life saving equipment and fire fighting system. Crane no.1 was removed and she took a new Naval Grey colour.

All the fabrication and upgrading works were designed and constructed by MMHE project team and approved by the ABS class, in compliance with the RMN and Marine Department specification and requirements. Beside the conversion works, Bunga Mas Lima completed the intermediate docking survey.

This first converted Malaysian merchant ship will be escorting and protecting MISC ships sailing through the Gulf of Aden. According to international law, an auxiliary ship is a ship other than a warship which is owned or under the ruling control of the military. It is operated by the government and thus, the ship is accorded sovereign immunity.

The ceremony for The Operationalising of Bunga Mas Lima as a Naval Auxiliary Vessel was held at MMHE. Pasir Gudang on 1 June 2009.

Present to the grace ceremony were Malaysia’s Deputy Defence Minister YB. Datuk Dr. Abdul Latif Ahmad, Chief of Navy Laksamana Dato’ Seri Abdul Aziz Haji Jaafar, President/CEO of MISC Encik Amir Hamzah Azizan and MD/CEO MMHE Encik Wan Yusoff Wan Hamat.