LUMUT, April 26 — The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is also the captain-in chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) arrived at the Lumut Naval Base here today to attend a Yasin recital, tahlil and special sermon as part of the RMN’s 90th anniversary celebration.

On arrival at 12.13pm, His Royal Highness was greeted by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Ayob.

Also present was Honorary First Admiral of RMN Datuk Muhammad Abdullah and top RMN leadership.

The Yasin recitation, tahlil and special sermon held at the RMN An-Nur Mosque also served to commemorate the victims of the tragic incident involving a Maritime Operations Helicopter (HOM-AW139) and a Fennec (M502-6) aircraft. The crash, which occurred last Tuesday, claimed the lives of 10 RMN members and officers.

The Yasin recital and tahlil led by Navy Headquarters religious director Lieutenant Colonel Ahmad Kamil Abdullah was attended by approximately 3,000 RMN personnel.

Sultan Sharafuddin then proceeded to perform Friday prayers at the mosque.

Meanwhile, in his special sermon, Abdul Rahman said the tragic incident on April 23 had a profound impact and constituted a significant loss for the RMN and the nation as a whole.

"Understand that you, the fallen victims, have sacrificed your lives for our beloved motherland and homeland. Your sacrifice, beyond measure, cannot be repaid with mere tears.

"We can only offer you our prayers, so that your souls may forever be blessed by Allah SWT,” he solemnly said, as the congregation joined him in reciting Surah al-Fatihah

In his sermon, Abdul Rahman emphasised that the theme of this year’s celebration, "TLDM Perkasa Kedaulatan Terpelihara” positions the navy as the vanguard defender, entrusted with the crucial responsibility of safeguarding every inch of the nation’s waters, thus preventing any form of intrusion or enemy conflict.

"The 90-year milestone signifies maturity and experience. Over the past nine decades, the Navy has demonstrated unwavering commitment and dedication to protecting our waters, upholding the honour of our sovereignty and consistently fulfilling the trust to safeguard the sanctity of our religion,” he said.

He stressed that the competency of RMN officers and personnel is a priority and should be emphasised, along with maintaining high readiness, without relying solely on material aspects.

The 90th RMN Anniversary Parade, scheduled for tomorrow, has been cancelled. Instead, it will be replaced with a tahlil ceremony and prayers in the aftermath of the helicopter crash tragedy.

Mohamed Khaled had earlier announced that Sultan Sharafuddin had consented to the cancellation. — Bernama