I refer to the media statement made by the home affairs minister on June 16, 2015 indicating that “insider involvement” was suspected in the case of the missing vessel MT Orkim Harmony .

I am sure that, with all the resources available to his ministry, he must have been provided credible intelligence to make such a statement.

What I wish to dispute is relates to the ‘timing’ of the declaration.

On that date, the vessel had been missing without trace for a good five days. No communications with the vessel nor sightings were made by agencies engaged in the search.

Based on such a scenario, can one discern the emotional state and condition of mind of families of the affected seafarers?

Most probably many are worried about the safety of their loved ones and may even be linking such disappearance with the tragic MH370 incident.

To be enduring such a distressful state and suddenly to hear a minister accusing “insider involvement” must have been disastrous to these family members. The former may be inferring individuals ashore as being the culprits, but most lay people will assume that the seafarers on board the vessel may be the ones responsible. This will cause the families of affected seafarers feeling more depressed and dejected!

As an ex-seafarer trained by the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme to be a ‘welfare responder’ tasked to address the trauma and resultant emotional imbalance of pirate-affected seafarers and their families, I, for one, do know that such a statement can only lead to negative effects on the families.

Not enough with them having their kin ‘missing’, they are now burdened with added stigma of aspersions that their loved ones may be engaged in nefarious acts as stated by no less than a minister of the federal government of Malaysia!

Thus, I plead that in future, those in authority, though having irrefutable evidence of wrongdoings by seafarers under siege by robbers-at-sea or pirates, please refrain from declaring such until the vessel is discovered, the affected seafarers are safely returned to Malaysia and proper investigations conducted to identify the culprit/s.

I write this not to besmirch the personality of the minister, but, only to maintain the peace of mind of families in dire state of mind during the crisis, that is all.

And, please, let us have more on-site patrols in pirates or ‘robbers-at-sea’-infested waters by our uniformed services entrusted with the responsibilities of protecting our ships and seafarers.

Admittedly, they have done well post-incident, but, it would be much better if effective preventive measures are undertaken in future.