The images I've shared are a fantastic piece of maritime history, documenting the 1991 voyage of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) vessels KD Mahawangsa and KD Lekir to the South Pacific.
In October 1991, these two ships visited Australia and New Zealand to represent Malaysia during the 50th Anniversary of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). This was a significant diplomatic and naval event that featured a massive fleet review and celebrations across major New Zealand ports.
The Ships in the Photos
- KD Lekir (F26): A Kasturi-class corvette (part of the 22nd Corvette Squadron). In your photo, you can see its distinctive sleek profile and the number "26" on the bow. It was one of Malaysia's most modern combatants at the time.
- KD Mahawangsa (A1504): A Sri Indera Sakti-class Multi-Purpose Command and Support Ship (MPCSS). Because of its large size and logistical capabilities, it often served as the "mother ship" for long-distance deployments like this one.
Devonport Naval Base, located in Auckland, New Zealand, is the primary base for the RNZN. Both ships were here for the core 50th Anniversary celebrations in October 1991.
The ships also visited the capital city, Wellington providing a rare sight of Malaysian naval ensigns in the southern reaches of the Pacific.
This 1991 deployment was one of the RMN's most ambitious long-distance voyages of that era. It showcased Malaysia's growing "Blue Water" naval capability—the ability to operate and sustain ships far from their home base in Lumut. It also strengthened ties within the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), of which Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand are all members.
THE WHITE ISLAND VOLCANO (WHAKAARI)
During the passage to New Zealand waters, ships involved in the PASSEX (Passing Exercixe) with ships from FPDA (Five Power Defence Arrangements).
It was during these meneuvers, often while trasisting the Bay of Plenty, that iconic photos of the ship passing Whakaari (White Island) were taken.
Whakaari or White Island, is an active andesite Stratovolcano situated 48 km from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, in the Bay of Plenty.
A large eruption occured at 14.11 on 9 December 2019, which resulted in 22 fatalities, including two people who were missing and ruled to be dead by a corone.
For a Malaysian corvette like KD Lekir, this was a high-stakes opportunity to practice coordination with the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in the deeper, rougher waters of the South Pacific.
White Island (Source: Wikipedia)
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HMCS Yukon (DDE 263), a Mackenzie-class Destroyer escort of the Royal Canadian Navy, was on a major deployment to the South Pacific that coincided with the visit of the Malaysia vessel KD Mahawangsa and KD Lekir to Australia and New Zealand in October 1991.
HMCS Yukon was decommissioned shortly after in 1993. She was intentionally sunk off the coast of San Diego, California, in July 2000, where she rests on her port side and remains one of the most popular wreck dives in North America.
The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand (Aotearoa), making up about 19.6% of the country's population as of the latest 2023 census.
Hj Zulheimy Maamor
Ex crew KD Lekir (1989-1992)
29/12/2025: 10.32 a.m
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