1950'S : MALAYAN NAVAL FORCE

In the 1950s, the Malayan Naval Force (MNF) was a critical coastal defense unit that transitioned into what we know today as the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

The images you provided likely depict scenes from this era, specifically around 1952, a landmark year when the force received its "Royal" title from Queen Elizabeth II.

Key Historical Highlights (1950s)

1. The "Royal" Bestowal (1952)

One of the most significant events of the decade occurred in August 1952. In recognition of its "sterling service" during the Malayan Emergency, Queen Elizabeth II granted the title "Royal" to the force.

• New Name: Royal Malayan Navy (RMN).
• Prefix Change: Ships changed their prefix from MS (Malayan Ship) to HMMS (Her Majesty’s Malayan Ship).
• The Ensign: On December 31, 1956, the navy began flying its own White Ensign, distinct from the British Royal Navy.

2. Role in the Malayan Emergency

Throughout the 1950s, the primary mission of the MNF/RMN was to combat communist insurgents.

• Coastal Patrols: Preventing the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) from receiving weapons or supplies by sea.
• Riverine Operations: Using small craft to patrol inland waterways where insurgents operated.

3. The Base: HMS Malaya (Woodlands)

During this period, the navy was headquartered in Woodlands, Singapore.

• The base was an ex-RAF radio station converted into barracks.
• It was officially commissioned as HMS Malaya (later KD Malaya).
• In 1950, the Royal Navy presented the ship's bell from the famous battleship HMS Malaya to the force as a mark of honor.

4. Leadership: Rear-Admiral Anthony Pugsley

The name Rear-Admiral A.F. Pugsley (mentioned in historical records of that time) is prominent. He served as the Flag Officer Malayan Area from 1951 to 1953 and was a key naval adviser during the Emergency.

TYPICAL FLEET OF THE 1950'S

In the 1950s, the Malayan Naval Force (MNF)—renamed the Royal Malayan Navy (RMN) in 1952—operated a modest but versatile fleet primarily composed of decommissioned or loaned British and Japanese vessels. Their main duties involved coastal patrols, anti-smuggling, and naval gunfire support during the Malayan Emergency.

Here is a breakdown of the typical fleet during that decade:

1. Training and Accommodation Ships

At the start of the 1950s, the MNF relied on larger, older vessels to house and train its rapidly growing crew.

• HMS Test (F56): A River-class frigate loaned from the Royal Navy in 1949. It served as the primary training and accommodation ship in Singapore before being returned in late 1950 once the shore base at Woodlands was ready.
• HMMS Sri Melaka (ex-HMS Malaya / LCT 341): Not to be confused with the famous battleship, this was a Landing Craft Tank (LCT) used as a maintenance and training vessel. It was renamed Sri Melaka in 1957.

HMS TEST

2. Major Patrol and Support Vessels

• HMS Laburnum (later KD Singapura): Originally a Japanese minelayer (Hatsutaka), this vessel was seized after WWII and served as a headquarters and administrative ship for the MNF throughout the 1950s.
• HMMS Sri Perlis (ex-HMS Pelandok / LCG 450): A Landing Craft Gun (Large). Unlike standard transport craft, she was armed with 4.7-inch guns. She was vital for "coastal bombardment" missions, firing on communist insurgent camps hidden near the shoreline.
• HMS Panglima: A motor fishing vessel used for general patrol and utility duties.

3. Coastal Patrol Craft (The Workhorses)

The "backbone" of the 1950s fleet consisted of small, fast craft capable of navigating shallow coastal waters and rivers.

• Seaward Defence Motor Launches (SDMLs): The MNF operated several of these (e.g., SDML 3508).11 They were roughly 72 feet long, armed with 20mm Oerlikon guns and machine guns, and were used for anti-infiltration patrols to prevent arms from being smuggled in from Sumatra.
• HMS Penyu (later HMMS Sri Johore):12 A specialized vessel used for minesweeping and patrol duties.

4. Expansion toward the late 1950s

As Malaya approached independence in 1957 and the Royal Navy began formal transfers, more modern (for the time) ships were added:

• Ton-class Minesweepers: Towards the very end of the 50s and into the early 60s, the navy began receiving these highly effective coastal minesweepers (e.g., KD Mahamiru, KD Ledang) which defined the fleet for the next two decades.

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Fleet Summary Table

Ship / Class	Type	Primary Role
HMS Test	Frigate	Training / Housing (until 1950)
HMS Laburnum	Minelayer	HQ / Administration
HMMS Sri Perlis	Landing Craft Gun	Naval Gunfire Support
SDMLs	Motor Launch	Anti-smuggling & River Patrol
HMS Panglima	Motor Vessel	Fishery Protection / Patrol

Transition to Independence (1957–1958)

When Malaya gained independence in 1957, the Royal Malayan Navy remained under British administrative control for a short period. On July 12, 1958, the Royal Navy officially transferred the force to the Federation of Malaya, making it a truly sovereign national navy.

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12 January 2026: 10.22 a.m

1916: HMS MALAYA

The image you shared is a historical collage celebrating HMS Malaya, a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship with a unique and deep connection to Malaysian history.

Here is the story behind the artifacts and the ship shown in your image:

1. The Ship's Bell (1916)

The bell on the left is a significant historical artifact. It is inscribed with "H.M.S. MALAYA 1916," marking the year she was commissioned and entered her first major combat at the Battle of Jutland.

• Location today: One of the original bells is currently held at the Royal Malaysian Navy Headquarters (KD Malaya) in Lumut, Perak. Another was historically kept at Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur.
• Significance: In naval tradition, the bell is the "soul" of the ship. This bell remains a symbol of the shared history between the United Kingdom and the Malay States.

2. A "Gift" from the Federated Malay States

HMS Malaya was unique because her construction was funded by a "gift" to the British Empire from the Federated Malay States (Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Pahang).

• Cost: AppRoximately £2,250,000 (an enormous sum at the time).
• Ensign: During the Battle of Jutland in 1916, she famously flew the red, white, yellow, and black ensign of the Federated Malay States alongside the White Ensign.

3. Service History (1916–1944)

The photos on the right show the ship during her long career spanning both World Wars.

• WWI (The Battle of Jutland): She was part of the 5th Battle Squadron. She took eight heavy hits from German ships, suffering 63 deaths, yet she remained in the line of battle and survived.
• Interwar: She carried the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed VI, into exile in 1922.
• WWII: She served as a vital convoy escort in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, survived a U-boat torpedo hit in 1941, and provided shore bombardment during the Normandy Landings (D-Day) in 1944.

4. The Grace Hopper Quote

The quote in your image—"A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for"—is a fitting tribute to HMS Malaya. She spent very little of her 30-year career "safe" in port, traversing the globe from the North Sea to the Indian Ocean before being scrapped in 1948.

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12 January 2026: 9.48 a.m

ONCE UPON A TIME IN A SAILOR'S LIFE

Reference: My FB Post dated: 4 October 2020

Travel to me is my livelihood....

Never mind how long precisely with having little or no money at all in my purse, I would be able to see the watery part of the world....

The profession of sailors has been known since time unknown..

My ancestor was once a great seafarer....

The secret behind being successful in the sea is nothing but to keep things as simple as possible....

No matter what, a calm sea never made a skillful sailor.. the art of the sailor is to leave nothing to chance...A skilled sailor did not acquire his skills by sailing only in the seas which are calm...If the sea is always clear and calm then the sailor will not know how to handle a storm when it hits. With every new challenge the sailor encounters, more knowledge and skills are gained…....

We must remember that in order to learn and achieve goals, we must face obstacles.

It is not that it is the ship that ensures a successful voyage. It is always the attribute of the skillful sailor who sails the ship.

As a sailor you will not be defined by how many seas you had sailed and how many ports you had been to.. but you would be defined by how many storms you has overcome.... there are things which we learn when there is a storm....

We cannot control the wind, but we can control the sail....

Remember...the sea has no place for cowards..

Honore de Balzac says, "A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a SAILOR knows the open Sea."

"To reach a port, we must sail-sail, not tie at anchor...Sail, not drift...."

(Franklin D. Roosevelt)

"The strongest stoms make the best sailors"

"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor"

(Franklin D.Roosevelt)

"The wind and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator"

(Edmond Gibbon)

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

16/1/2025: 11.03 p.m

SHIP IS MY HOME, SEA IS MY PLAYGROUND AND WAR IS MY GAME

I joined the Navy when I was 19 years old, apart from wanted to serve my country, I truly wanted to make a difference. I joined the Navy with dreams of seeing exotic places around the world...

Sailor's life is completely an adventurous one, it just like any other job.....Sailor is the one who knows the feelings and emotions of the sea....A rough day at sea is still better than any day in the office..

When I first drafted to the ship in 1981, My petty officer used to say to me that "As a Sailor, Ship is your home, Sea is your playground and war is your game." I always keep that in my mind until I retired in 1996.....

After 16 years serving onboard 9 RMN ships, I had learned that Sea is my country, Ship is my Home, waves are my enemies, war in not my game as I never get involved in the war and duty is My life....

AHOY ! SAILOR

We are sailors, we're rugged, able men of the sea

Braving the oceans to the highest degree

GOOD NIGHT... and sweet dreams.....

THE SHIP I HAD SERVED FROM 1981 - 1992

KD GANAS

1ST SQUADRON FAST ATTACK (MISSILE)

BASE: WOODLANDS, SINGAPORE

3.2.1981 - 27.7.1981

KD RAJA JAROM

32ND SEALIFT SQUADRON

BASE: WOODLANDS, SINGAPORE

18.7.1981 - 28.6.1982

RIVERINE BOAT (LCP, RCP & LCM)

BASE: KD SRI REJANG, SIBU, SARAWAK

28.3.1983 - 24.11.1984

KD PENDEKAR

2ND SQUADRON FAST ATTACT CRAFT (MISSILE)

BASE: MALAYSIAN SHIPYARD ENGINEERING, PASIR GUDANG,JOHOR

25.11.1984 - 5 JANUARY 1985

KD MUTIARA

36TH HYDROGRAPHIC SQUADRON

BASE: LUMUT, PERAK

26.8.1985 - 1 MAY 1986

KD GANYANG

1ST SQUADRON FAST ATTACK CRAFT (MISSILE)

BASE: LUMUT, PERAK

8.9.1986 - 29.3.1987

KD PANAH

14TH SQUADRON PATROL CRAFT

BASE: TG. GELANG, KUANTAN, PAHANG

30.3.1987 - 11.10.1987

KD SRI NEGRI SEMBILAN

12TH SQUADRON PATROL CRAFT

BASE: LUMUT, PERAK

12.10.1987 - 28.3.1988

KD LEKIR

22ND CORVETTE SQUADRON

BASE: LUMUT, PERAK

7.8.1989 - 4.12.1991

RETIRED FROM THE NAVY

15 JANUARY 1996

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

16/1/2025: 10.23 p.m

NAVY : CROSSING THE EQUATOR

The Equator is significant because it divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern hemisphere. It is important for navigation. This line sits zero degrees latitute, making it the reference point when travelers, map-makers, or anyone elso needs to determine the latitudinal location of an object on Earth. 

Seafarers life is chock full of myth and tradition, what happen at sea even affects our language. There are many naval traditions dated back hundreds and even thousand of years...Crossing the Equator is one of the naval tradition dates back at least 400 years in western Seafaring... It is a significant events for seafarers, symbolising a rite of passage.

Why would sailors avoid the Equator?

In both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the sailors noticed that there was an area near the Equator where there was little or no wind. Without the wind to move their sail-powered boats, they would sometimes be stuck for days or weeks. They started calling these areas the doldrums,  a low pressure area from 5 degrees North to 5 degrees South of the Equator. Winds are famously calm here, with prevailing breeze disappearing altogether at times, making it extremely difficult to navigate through. It's a place for trade winds to meet other trade winds.

Sailor who had crossed the Equator will be awarded a certificate and they are accepted and be called Shellback.. it is a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness...

While the term given to those sailor who have not crossed the equator before was Pollywogs.

With the pollywog to shellback transition complete, a certificate was often awarded to the new shellback as a rite of passage.

When the ceremonies were first conducted, they were physically challenging and could even be painful or embarrassing to the Sailors. This is a usually light-hearted event that allows the ship's crew to take sometime out from their hectic schedules and have fun with the rest of the crewmates.

Today, the event is voluntary and is conducted more for entertainment purposes and morale boosting than anything else.

I'm not sure whether this tradition is still practiced in the Royal Malaysian Navy... as there are some who do not agree with the practice of this tradition that may conflict with religion...

Wallahualam

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

16/1/2025: 9.56 p.m

JOIN THE NAVY TO SEE THE WORLD

A Popular phase used by the Navy recruiters, and also often reference in TV shows and movies. Being at sea for a month, far away from family and friends. You will definitely see the world, but remember, 72% of the world is covered by waters.

But is it true if you join the navy you have the opportunity to see the world.....

For some its true... you have the opportunity to visit places you might never had the chance to do without joining the Navy.... while visiting foreign ports, you get to experience different cultures, cuisines and local attractions.

Its also depend on where you are assigned, is you are assigned on a ship at sea, you will visit a number of countries in a short period of time.....

And also some spend their entire career in the Navy and never went to sea on a single navy ship. I have many friends in the Navy who were based on the shore the entire time... and even some was on the ships that never sailed that far... maybe within Asia and not the world so to speak....some do "see the world" but only the sea of Singapore, Australia, Indonesia etc....

For me, when I joined the Navy in the early 80s....the recruiting slogan was "It's not just a job...it's an adventure"....that is what I really LOVE most... an ADVENTURE..... Not that seeing the ocean is a bad thing... it is one of my favorite things actually... through 16 years career in the navy, stationed onboard 9 ships, I did and saw many things that most people never dream of.

Only one thing you need to remember, that 72% of the world is covered by water. You'll see a LOT more of that than anything else!

"AHOY SAILOR...."

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

16/1/2025: 5.22 p.m

ROYAL MALAYSIAN NAVY - NAVAL COMMUNICATOR

A Navy members who establish and manage communications systems for the Navy. They ensure that the Navy has reliable communcations for mission success. The Systems unclude HF, UHF, VHF transceiver, HF data modems etc.. Radiotelephony, radiotelegraphy, flag semaphore, flag hoist, and signal lamp or blinkers are used for sending signals.

Like human communications on land, the Naval communicators was initially oral, often through relays in small boats.

Effective communication is crucial to success in any field. The Maritime English is the lingua franca at sea so to speak, and is vitally important for a multitude of reasons, such as safety of the ship crews, the efficiency of daily tasks and the integrity of the ship.

A Naval Communicators assigned at Navy ships while sailing, will be standing watches in the Communication Room (COMCEN) sending and receiving incoming & outgoing messages, and also employed on the bridge of the ship with communications by radio, signal flags, semaphore or flashing lights (morse code).

A Naval communicator are relied upon for all matters of ceremony.

From the time of Flag Semaphores used as the primary means of communication for ship, Naval communication has gone through a long and winding evolution through the years.

The use of Signal Flag (Semaphore), dates back to ancient times. The Semaphore uses a series of flags to spell out a particular message, with every flag representing a specific letter.

Same as the use of Morse Code, allowed ship-to-shore communication via radio during the early 19th century. The Morse code is the method where text characters are encoded as standardized sequences of two signal durations, dahs and dits.

The International Morse code encodes 26 basic letters in Latin from A to Z, the Arabic numerals, a small set of procedural signals and punctuation or prosigns, and a single accented Latin letter, É. But the fact that there is a need to individually transmit each letter soon made the technology obsolete as it only added to the expenses for vessel communication.

While assigned to the Naval Base or when ship alongside harbour, a Communicator will be busy with sending and receiving messages which will involve typing and computer skills.... as a Naval Communicator you must be proficient in typing and using computers.

A teleprinter (teletypewriter, teletype or TTY) is an electromechanical device that can be used to send and receive typed messages through various communications channels, in both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations.

A Telexz is a telecommunications system that allows text-based messages to be sent and received by teleprinter over telephone lines

The word "telex" is a contraction of "teleprinting" and "exchange". Telex includes a switched routing network, originally based on pulse-telephone dialing, which in the United States was provided by Western Union.

Reference:

1. Wikipedia - Teleprinter

2. Wikipedia - Telex

Radio wireless communication is the transfer of information (telecommunication) between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer, it use radio waves.

The successful carrying out of modern naval warfare is, in the main, entirely dependent upon the art of radio communication.

For me, what is the best of being a Naval Communicator, It's fun because you always learn something, its fun to work with modern equipment and trouble shoot... eventhough thoday communication at sea relies more on satellites than flags signalling, the fundamental role of the naval communicator remain crucial to the ship's operational effectiveness.

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

16/1/2025: 4.53 p.m