A Greek bulker involved in a collision with a Malaysian government vessel in Singapore waters earlier this month has been arrested, TradeWinds has learned.
The 77,000-dwt Pireas (built 2006) was en route from Singapore to Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia when the collision took place with the Malaysian Marine Department ship Polaris.
It has now emerged that the vessel and its crew were detained by the Malaysian government, according to a statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s minister for foreign affairs, said the Pireas was not detained by the Malaysian authorities in Singaporean territorial waters.
“We will not allow any foreign government vessels to assert any authority in our waters,” he said in reply to a parliamentary question.
“ All vessels who are passing or transiting through these waters should therefore take instructions from the Maritime [and] Port Authority [of Singapore].
“Any foreign government vessels have no locus standi to be issuing any instructions.”
Balakrishnan said Singapore “will take appropriate measures” if there are any attempts to assert authority or take any unauthorised actions over vessels in its waters.
