MISC STOPS ITS VESSELS FROM ENTERING PIRATE-INFESTED GULF OF ADEN

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's leading international shipping line company Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Berhad (MISC) has stopped all its vessels from entering the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden until additional security measures have been provided to enhance the safety of its vessels and crew.

MISC said in a statement Tuesday that this was in addition to the
precautionary and preventive measures already in place for all its
vessels.

The statement comes in the wake of the seizure of two MISC vessels, MT
Bunga Melati 2 and MT Bunga Melati 5, with a crew of 65 Malaysians and 15
Filipinos by
pirates in the gulf on Aug 19 and Aug 30, respectively.

The MISC statement said: "In the case of Bunga Melati 5, such precautionary
and preventive measures were carried out and, despite this, Bunga Melati 5 was
nevertheless overcome by pirates.

"The vessel was sailing in international waters bordering the coast of
Yemen and, on the advice of the coalition forces, Bunga Melati 5 kept within the
vicinity of the designated security corridor."

Negotiations are going on for the safe release of the crew of MT Bunga
Melati 2 while communication has yet to be established with MT Bunga Melati
5.

The statement said MISC President and Chief Executive Officer Shamsul
Azhar Abbas reaffirmed that the safety of the crew remained the company's first
and immediate priority and said family members had been briefed and were
constantly updated on the situation.

"In our recent meeting with the family members, they expressed their
concern over speculations and adverse reports by the media and have requested
the media to refrain from doing so (carrying speculative reports)," the
statement said.