Malaysia investigates Chinese vessel accused of salvaging WWII British shipwrecks

Malaysian authorities have seized a Chinese-flagged cargo ship amid reports of salvaging of World War II shipwrecks in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone.

According to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the ship was detained and boarded when it was discovered that it lacked the necessary permits to anchor in Malaysian seas. An inspection of the ship led to the discovery of “old steel and cannon shells.”

The Malaysian Marine Department, police, and the National Heritage Department are investigating further to confirm whether the shells are indeed from World War II. According to local media, “a foreign salvage ship was conducting an illegal operation to salvage steel from a British warship that sank” in the area.

Malaysia’s Merchant Shipping Ordinance- which regulates underwater operations among other activities- is investigating the claims. The ruins of two British warships, the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the cruiser HMS Repulse, were sunk by Japanese aeroplanes on 10 December 1941, two days the attacks on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.

The attack by dozens of Japanese planes armed with bombs and torpedoes killed 842 people. Under British law, the wreckage is recognised as war graves. Reports of the suspected salvaging have sparked outrage in the United Kingdom. In a statement, the National Museum of the Royal Navy said it was “upset at the loss of naval heritage and the impact this has on the understanding of our Royal Navy history.”

According to a 2017 Peace Palace Library report at The Hague, international law on the rescue of wrecked battleships is murky at best. The HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, operating out of Singapore, were sunk while attempting to confront a Japanese amphibious landing on the Malaysian coast. Their sinking is regarded as one of the worst maritime disasters in Royal Navy history.