The ship was named at a ceremony by the prime minister’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, at the Kuching Port Authority jetty in Sarawak today, Bernama reported.

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Tun Fatimah’s name was chosen based on the leadership and courage of the historical figure, noting that “throughout her life, she was always a defender of the nation and homeland”.

He said the choice of name departs from the tradition of adopting the name of a sea, bay or straits or the name of a city for vessels of the coast guard, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

The Tun Fatimah is the first of her class, with two more to be delivered to MMEA within two years. The vessel, measuring 83m-long and 13.7m-wide, is capable of reaching a speed of 21 knots and has facilities such as a helipad as well as a detention room.

The three Fatimah-class vessels will patrol Sarawak waters, particularly in the South China Sea. MMEA currently operates four other patrol vessels, the Arau, Pekan, Langkawi and Bangi.