"Thank God, We Are Safe" - Oil Tanker Crewman

KUANTAN (Pahang, Malaysia), June 22 (Bernama) -- "Thank God, we have been freed. I am happy to have survived the ordeal," said Muhammad Aiman Shafiz Marzuki, 19, one of the crew members of Malaysian-registered MT Orkim Harmony. The student of Ungku Omar Polytechnic in Ipoh, Malaysia's northern state of Perak was undergoing practical training on board the oil tanker when it was hijacked by eight armed Indonesians on June 11. The Malaysian authorities, together with help from their Australian and Indonesian counterparts managed to locate the vessel on June 18. Vietnamese authorities nabbed the hijackers, believed to be Indonesians, near Tho Chu Island, south of Vietnam. Muhammad Aiman Shafiz told reporters - who had been waiting since early Saturday morning to interview the crewmen - that he was on his way to the police station to make a report on the hijacking incident, together with five other crewmen. It was also learnt that the crewmen were taken outside the port area to break their fast. Reporters were not allowed to interview other crew members and their respective families in the vicinity of the wharf. The MT Orkim Harmony, carrying 6,000 tonnes of petrol valued at US$5.62 million (RM21 million) went missing at 8.57pm on June 11, while enroute to the Kuantan Port in Peninsular Malaysia's east coast state of Pahang from Melaka. The Magna Meridian Sdn Bhd-owned vessel had 22 crew members on board, comprising 16 Malaysians and the rest Indonesian and Myanmar nationals. All the crew members were rescued about 2.30am Friday, following negotiations between the Royal Malaysian Navy and the hijackers. The oil tanker arrived at the Kuantan Port (in Pahang) Saturday morning. Eight Indonesian nationals, believed to be the hijackers were detained by Vietnamese authorities near Tho Chu Island, south Vietnam about 6.30am, while attempting to flee from the authorities. -- BERNAMA