PORT DICKSON: A tourist boat has been seized in waters off this coastal town for operating without a valid licence and insurance.

       Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Melaka/Negri Sembilan director Haris Fadzillah Abdullah said there were 10 passengers on board the boat when it was stopped for a routine inspection on Saturday (Oct 30).

       "An MMEA asset stopped the boat about 0.9 nautical miles off Telok Kemang for a routine check around 5.05pm.

       "However, the operator of the boat, which did not have a registered name, failed to produce a licence and insurance from the Malaysian Marine Department to allow it to carry passengers or operate," he said on Monday (Nov 1).

       Haris Fadzillah said the owner and the operator of the boat were detained and taken to the Melaka/Negri Sembilan MMEA office for further investigation.

       The case was being probed under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, he added.