On the afternoon of 25 August the 43 metre Handalan class missile boat KD Pendekar struck a submerged object and later sank in the South China Sea two nautical miles off Johor. All 39 crew members were rescued.
Tragically, in the subsequent salvage operation of the 45 year old vessel, a mine clearance diver, Leading Seaman Arman San bin Hermansa died while diving on the Pendekar. On 29 August he was buried in home town of Sapagaya Village in Lahad Datu
A board of inquiry has begun into the incident.
