Thursday, 4 June 2026

MEMORY NOTEBOOK: THE 1991 RMN DEPLOYMENT (KD LEKIR & KD MAHAWANGSA)


Here is a structured digital notebook log paired with a commemorative event poster based on the personal accounts of Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN/TLDM) veteran Hj. Zulheimy Ma'amor during his 1991 deployment.

MEMORY NOTEBOOK: THE 1991 RMN DEPLOYMENT
Part 1: The Australian Leg (September 1991)
The voyage began as a mission to "show colors" across the Pacific, making key strategic stops along the Australian coast before reaching New Zealand.


Stop 1: Darwin, Northern Territory
  • The Experience: Stepped into scorching heat. The crew was given special permission to wear casual civilian clothes while on liberty due to the intense weather.
  • Historical Note: Learned that the port was named in 1839 after Charles Darwin by the captain of the HMS Beagle.

Stop 2: Cairns, Queensland
  • The Experience: Visited the stunning 100-acre Kuranda Rainforest Park and Mossman Gorge. A few brave crew members from KD Lekir actually stepped up and took the terrifying plunge at a local bungee jumping site.
  • Naval Camaraderie: Hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) at the HMAS Cairns base Junior Rates Club, where the crew mingled with Australian sailors.





HMAS CAIRNS

Stop 3: Sydney, New South Wales
  • Arrival Date: September 1991.
  • The Experience: Explored the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge wearing custom-ordered black cruise jackets.
  • A Touching Encounter: Met a former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) veteran who had served at RAAF Butterworth in Penang during the 1970s. His Malaysian-Chinese wife was so thrilled to see fellow Malaysians after 25 years in Sydney that they treated the author to a halal Malaysian dinner.



Part 2: The New Zealand Fleet Review (October 1991)

Stop 4: Auckland (Devonport Naval Base)
  • The Grand Event: KD Lekir and KD Mahawangsa joined a massive gathering of 35 warships from 9 nations (including Canada, Singapore, Australia, and various Pacific island nations).
  • The Review: Officially launched by Governor-General Dame Catherine Tizard. 70 proud RMN officers and crew marched through Queen Street as mini-ambassadors for Malaysia.
  • Memorable Sights: Visited HMNZS Philomel and the training base HMNZS Tamaki. Made lifelong friends with local Kiwi sailors ("3 Sahabat") who helped them navigate the city.

Malaysia's Newspaper cutting




The Malaysian Contingents from KD Lekir & KD Mahawangsa

HMNZS PHILOMEL, AUCKLAND, N.Z

Three RNZN Friends who took us for a walk around Auckland... thank you guys!!

Stop 5: Port of Wellington
  • The Transit: Participated in the AUCKEX 1/91 joint naval exercise on the way to Wellington alongside Canada's HMCS Yukon.
  • The View: Sailed past White Island, giving the Malaysian crew a rare, mesmerizing view of an active marine volcano.



JOINT EXERCISE AT SEA

Volcano @ The White Island (Whakaari), Bay of Plenty, N.Z



Part 3: The Journey Home & Farewell
  • Return Route: Wellington > Adelaide > Perth (Fremantle) > Surabaya (Indonesia) > Lumut, Malaysia.
  • Perth Highlight: The KD Lekir brass band gave a special performance at the Harboursite Hotel in Fremantle. The crew also discovered a large population of Cocos/Christmas Island Malay-Australians who still spoke Malay and yearned to visit the land of their ancestors.
THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT
The photo on the Top Row, the Great Australian Bight situated along the central and western parts of Australia's Southern Coastline. 
It forms a massive, open oceanic bay that officially stretches across the Southern Ocean from Cape Pasley in Western Australia to Cape Carnot on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. 
The Great Australian Bight is famously one of the roughest and most treacherous marine environment in the world. It is a Sailor's nightmare, sailing across it is notorious in the maritime community. 



THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Located in the Coral Sea, running parallel to the northeastern coast of Australia. It lines in the coast of the State of Queensland, stretching over 2,300 km from the northern tip of the Cape York Peninsula down to Bundaberg in the south. 
The vast majority of people visiting the reef experience calm, lake-like turquoise waters because thousands of individual coral reefs block the incoming Pacific swells. 



ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA

FREMANTLE - PERTH, AUSTRALIA

PELABUHAN TG.PERAK, SURABAYA, INDONESIA

End of an Era: Upon returning safely to the Lumut Naval Base, the author received transfer orders to SKTLDM Kuantan, bringing an emotional end to his unforgettable journey aboard the legendary KD Lekir.

C&P
4 June 2026: 2.49 a.m
By Hj Zulheimy Maamor at
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