KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — All Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) personnel in China are free from the 2019 novel coronavirus infection.
The RMN in a statement said its top management viewed the coronavirus outbreak in China seriously and was closely monitoring the situation as it placed highest priority on the welfare of its staff, especially in terms of health.
It said 12 RMN officers and personnel of other ranks were responsible for monitoring the construction of RMN’s four Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) in Wuhan, China.
Besides this, RMN said it also sent 45 personnel since November 5, 2019 to Qidong, Shanghai for familiarisation training before taking delivery of RMN’s second LMS ship named Sundang in mid-April 2020.
“The number of RMN personnel who are directly involved in the project is 57, with 42 having returned to Malaysia for the Chinese New Year holidays since Jan 17 while the other 15 are still in Qidong, Shanghai,” the statement said.
As a precautionary measure, RMN is making efforts to bring home the 15, the statement added.
The Malaysian Government signed a contract for the procurement of four LMS with Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNSSB) on March 23, 2017, involving the building of the ships in Wuhan.
The firat LMS named Keris for RMN was handed over to the Defence Ministry at Wucang Port, Qidong Shanghai on December 31, 2019. — Bernama
