Penang’s Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) hosted the ASEAN Fleet Review (AFR) 2025 parade, featuring ten warships in a significant naval event. The AFR was held in conjunction with the 19th ASEAN Navy Chiefs’ Meeting (ANCM), bringing together three vessels from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and seven from other ASEAN member states.
The opening formation comprised five ships in a straight line, led by the RMN’s KD Lekiu, a vessel built in Scotland and commissioned on 9 October 1999. KD Lekiu, based in Lumut, was crewed by 164 officers and personnel under Captain Mahamad Nazir Darus. The ship was followed by KBD Darulaman from Brunei, KRI Bung Tomo (Indonesia), UMS King Sin Phyu Shin (Myanmar), and BRP Antonio Luna (the Philippines).
A second group of five ships followed, headed by the RMN’s KD Lekir. This group included Singapore Navy’s RSS Vigour, HTMS Krabi (Thailand), VPNS Quang Trang (Chung) from Vietnam, and concluded with KD Kedah.
Upon conclusion of the ship parade, attendees witnessed a ceremonial fly-past involving four RMN aircraft: an AW139, a Super Lynx Mk 100, and two AS555 Fennec helicopters. The 50-minute display was visible from locations near the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) and the historic Esplanade, providing a rare spectacle for local residents and visitors alike.
A Bernama survey at the Esplanade indicated strong public interest, with members of the public and foreign tourists taking the opportunity to view and photograph the parade of ASEAN naval assets.
Rear Admiral Datuk Pahlawan Mohd Fadzli Kamal Mohd Mohaldin, ANCM Working Committee deputy chairman, identified the AFR as the highlight of the week-long maritime military events in Penang. He stated, “All RMN and ASEAN vessels sailed in formation in the North Channel, which could be viewed by all Penang residents from both Butterworth and George Town.”
The event was officiated by Penang Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, who received a salute from each vessel. Attendance included ASEAN navy chiefs, Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail, and the state director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Maritime Captain Muhammad Suffi Mohd Ramli.
Penang is serving as the primary venue for the region’s largest maritime military gathering, hosted by the RMN, with three core programmes under Malaysia’s ASEAN 2025 Chairmanship. The AFR was held alongside the 19th ANCM and the 3rd ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (AMNEX), based around George Town and Batu Ferringhi. Additional events included the Naval Engineering Conference (NEC) and the ASEAN Navies’ City Parade (ANCP), recalling the International Royal Fleet Review (IRFR) in May 1990, which featured 59 warships and 11,000 naval personnel from various countries.
