A source from Penang Port Sdn Bhd said the tug Fire Man, from Zanzibar, had three crew members on board. One of its crew was sent to Seberang Jaya Hospital.

The official said the tug encountered problems while sailing from the Philippines to Dubai. It ran out of fuel and it was then towed by another vessel, which also suffered some problems, and berthed in Johor waters on Dec 11.

He said the authorities were aware of the ship’s presence in Malaysian waters and were monitoring its movements, besides providing assistance.

“The ship then docked at the North Butterworth Container Terminal due to an emergency when one of the crew fell ill.

“The three crew members in their 30s also said they had run out of fuel and money, and that they had failed to contact the ship’s company in Iran,” he said tonight.

Earlier today, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim had questioned the actions of port authorities and the state government after the vessel was reported to have docked illegally at the container terminal.