DURING the farewell ceremony held at the Brunei LNG plant for Bebatik, one of the oldest LNG steamships in the world, two local captains shared their thoughts on the vessel and their roles in the Brunei maritime industry.
One of them was Captain Abdul Mateen Abdurrahman Liew @ Martin, a QM – Quality and HSSE Manager, as well as a FMS/1 – LNG Fleet Operations Superintendent for Brunei Gas Carriers (BGC), who has worked on Bebatik since 2000.
Having more than 15 years of maritime experience under his belt, Captain Abdul Mateen said he started out as an employee of BGC and Brunei Shell Tankers (BST).
“Having started with the position of a Navigating Bridge Officer, I slowly rose through the ranks, after which I was sent to the United Kingdom to pursue a certification in Master Unlimited. It enables me to sail any ship, regardless of the size and type, anywhere in the world,” he explained.
Captain Abdul Mateen said acquiring his certificate of competency in Master Unlimited was a huge milestone, as it allowed him to steer Amani and Amadi, two of the new A-Class vessels, during their respective maiden voyages from Korea to Brunei Darussalam.
He admitted to feeling sad about Bebatik’s final voyage to Japan from Brunei, as it provided a stepping stone for him to learn about the basics and how to be an efficient officer on board a vessel with a multinational crew.
“Being one of the oldest vessels, Bebatik is a tough one to operate, which requires all the crew members to be fully cooperative with each other, in addition to having the same mindset and resilience,” he said.
“The B-class vessel has always been a place for us to learn, as a beginning. It’s a sort of kindergarten, where having learned the basics, we move up the class to Primary One and so on.
“As such, the experience gained over the past years in the B-Class vessel will prove beneficial to Brunei mariners in operating the A-Class vessel, which was evident three years ago, when a crew comprising Bruneian mariners successfully sailed from Korea to Brunei.”
Captain Shahbrin bin Ibrahim also talked to the Weekend Bulletin about his time on Bebatik, saying that the vessel will always remain close to his heart.
“Being the first ship that I boarded during my career, I am sad about Bebatik’s imminent retirement, but in retrospect, I am glad that I was able to be on a vessel such as Bebatik, that allowed me to develop my skills,” he said, while adding that the career path for a seafarer in Brunei is far from an easy one.
“Being a seafarer means self-efficiency in working with other crew members, readily adaptable to any problems that may occur, and always willing to learn,” he said.
“The B-Class vessel has a place, not only in the history of Brunei’s maritime industry, but also in the world’s history, as it represents a legacy in the training of mariners and setting standards for future vessels to follow.”
With an estimated 217 million tonnes of LNG to be delivered on a journey of 30 million miles, the B-Class vessel has constantly provided a safe and reliable shipping service for Brunei LNG Project and its customers.
Bebatik is currently scheduled to deliver its last cargo to Sodegaura Terminal in Japan, before being sent for decommissioning.Borneo Bulletin