2 M'sian men given S'pore public spiritedness award for assisting in recovery of stolen vessel

Two Malaysian men were presented with the SaferSG Public Spiritedness Award by the Police Coast Guard (PCG) on Jun. 16, after their timely tip-off led to the recovery of a stolen Singapore-registered pleasure craft.

According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) news release, the vessel was found drifting in Malaysian Territorial Waters (MTW).

Suspicious sighting

On Jun. 2, Muhammad Azrie Bin Manab, a Malaysian fisherman, noticed a Singapore-registered pleasure craft berthed at a mooring buoy in MTW.

As it was unusual for a Singapore-registered vessel to be at the location, Azrie grew suspicious.

He then sent a photograph he took of the craft to his cousin, Khairil Faizal Bin Othman, to verify his doubts.

Acting on his cousin's lead, Khairil approached a PCG patrol boat later that day to alert the officers of the sighting.

This crucial information helped PCG locate and recover the missing craft, which was reported stolen earlier that day.

In collaboration with the Royal Malaysia Police's Marine Police Force, PCG secured the craft and returned it to its rightful owner.

Police investigations into the theft are currently ongoing.

Commander of the PCG and Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Ang Eng Seng expressed his appreciation to the award recipients.

"This case is an exemplary example showcasing the success of cross-jurisdiction partnership between Singapore and Malaysia."