Family of missing cargo ships crew member wants answers

 

“Sis, these days we sleep with life jackets on,” Derrent Littor, 22, a crew member of the missing cargo ship MV Dai Cat 06, told his 28-year-old sister Lyli.

Lyli said her younger brother, who had been working on the ship since Oct 28 last year, expressed concern after the cargo was loaded.

The family wondered what had happened to the youngest of the six siblings and the ship, which had been missing since Jan 9. 

Lyli and her family urged the ship owner, the agent, and the cargo owner to come forward to explain the vessel’s fate to them and the authorities, besides cooperating in the search for the vessel.

“Authorities like the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the Marine Department had provided information (to the family) but the ship owner, agent, and cargo owner would not cooperate when we contacted them. 

“I appeal to you to pay attention to this search operation and cooperate with all parties because the lives of five people whose families are waiting for their return are at stake,” she told a press conference in Kampung Melawa, near Kota Kinabalu, today. 

On Jan 9, the Malaysian-registered cargo vessel, carrying 527 pipes, valued at RM726,205, was reported missing in Indonesian waters and a police report was lodged by the ship’s agent on the same day.

Besides Derrent, the other two missing Malaysian crew members are senior officer Mohammad Syafarizan Mohd Noor, 24; sailor, Mohammad Sudeh Sudin, 20; ship master identified as Adi, 43, and chief engineer Damai Papane Ole, 57, both Indonesians.

Lyli said the last time she was able to contact her brother was on Jan 1, when the ship was near Singapore.

“At 1.45 pm, he told me that he had bought a roaming line in Singapore, and at 2pm, we made a video call, but after that, at 5pm, I sent a message, but there was no reply. I tried to call his number until today, but there was no answer,” she said.

She said Derrent had expressed some concerns about the ship but continued his duties to fulfil his contract with the company, which expires in April this year.

Derrent’s other sister, Sandra, 32, said the family hoped that no matter what happens, their brother will return home safely.

She said what worries them now is that the ship is said to be in a bad condition, especially its electrical system and water pump.

“Derrent took this job to pursue his career as a sailor and wanted to gain experience. I ask everyone not to ignore this case but to look into it and help bring this crew home,” she added.

- Bernama