Crew members of the MV Berkat Tuah, stranded in the UAE for nearly a year, hope their outstanding wages will be settled so they can rebuild their lives
SEPANG: Crew members of the MV Berkat Tuah, stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for nearly a year since September 2025, hope their outstanding wages will be settled promptly so they can rebuild their lives and return to work.
The five crew members are Captain Hendi Irawan, 45, from Jakarta, Indonesia; Mohamad Luqman Yahaya, 31, from Felda Kerteh, Terengganu; Mark Martin, 39, from Sarawak; Mohd Shah Rizan Rahman, 33; and Mohd Fariduddin Muhamad Jainudin, 26, both from Sabah.
Speaking to reporters after arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) today, Mark said his immediate priority was to reunite with his family after spending months aboard the vessel in Dubai.
“For now, I just want to be with my family. I’ve been on board the vessel in Dubai for a long time. Maybe in about a month’s time, I’ll start looking for a better job elsewhere,” he said.
Mark also expressed gratitude to Marine director-general Datuk Dickson Dollah, describing him as the person who gave the crew hope when they were close to giving up.
“Today, he fulfilled his commitment to bring us home to Malaysia. We are truly grateful,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hendi said the solidarity and mutual support among the five crew members had been their greatest source of strength throughout their ordeal in UAE waters.
Despite the emotional strain and six months without pay, the crew encouraged one another until they were finally able to return to Malaysia.
“Alhamdulillah, we managed to overcome every challenge and return to Malaysia. I would like to thank the Malaysian Government, particularly the Marine Department, the Central Fund for Maritime Commerce (KWPPL), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), and the Consulate General of Malaysia in Dubai,” he said.
Hendi said their struggle would not end with their return home, as outstanding salary claims, including those involving crew members who had left the vessel earlier, had yet to be resolved.
“I hope this issue can be settled as soon as possible so we can move on and join better companies. This has been a valuable lesson for all of us,” he said.
Hendi added that the experience underscored the need to better safeguard seafarers’ welfare and expressed hope that similar incidents would not happen again.
The MV Berkat Tuah’s 13 crew members were stranded after the vessel’s operator and owner were reportedly caught in a commercial dispute that led to the ship being detained in UAE waters.
As a result of the company’s financial difficulties, the crew could not be repatriated and were forced to endure harsh conditions aboard the vessel for nearly a year.
Following sustained efforts by multiple parties, all 13 crew members were repatriated to Malaysia in stages, with the arrival of the final five today marking the completion of the operation.
