RMN takeover operation of Tun Azizan auxiliary vessel

SANDAKAN: The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has taken over the operation of Tun Azizan Auxiliary Vessel (KA TAZ) or mobile naval base vessel, in the waters of eastern Sabah.
Since its operation in July 2015, KA TAZ operated under the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) with the appointment of commanding officers absorbed as member of the RMN Volunteer Reserve Team.
The hand over ceremony today involved RMN's first commanding officer, Commander Mohamad Hafiz Faisal, who took over from Commander Mohd Nazri Sharif in a ceremony at Sandakan Forward Operation Base headquarters here, today.
It was witnessed by Deputy Chief of Eastern Fleet, First Admiral Datuk Saifuddin Kamarudin.
KA TAZ public relations officer Left Nik Azrol Hizham Nik Kub said the hand over of operation of the auxiliary vessel was a continuation of the establishment of naval bases under the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS).
The collaboration with the private sector led to Petronas sponsoring a platform and vessel to establish a naval base to curb the kidnappings and intrusion in eastern Sabah waters, he said in a statement.
"Collaboration between the RMN and MISC had created a new innovation in the operation of the navy and indirectly improved maritime safety," he added.
KA TAZ was the initiative of Petronas, the MISC and Malaysia Marine Heavy Engineering (MMHE) via the conversion of an abandoned cargo vessel into a mobile naval base.