Owners Told To Pay 60 To Reclaim Cars Stranded After Cargo Ship Fire

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Vehicles, some visibly damaged, stranded at Port Klang due to a cargo ship fire.
PETALING JAYA: Nearly 1,000 vehicles headed for Kota Kinabalu are reportedly stuck at Port Klang after the cargo ship transporting them caught fire on Dec 3 last year.
The vessel caught fire en route to Borneo, 9.1 nautical miles off Tanjung Labuh, Batu Pahat, forcing a return to Port Klang.
A TikTok video had shown the vehicles, some visibly damaged by the fire, and claimed that owners must pay 60% of their car’s value to get them back.
One affected owner, Firdaus Yusza, told FMT that nearly three months later the cause of the fire remained unknown.
He was told that the cars were being held because of a general average (GA) clause, which states that if a fire or damage occurs at sea, the loss must be shared between the shipowner and the cargo owners.
“So private owners, even those whose cars were not damaged, must pay the shipping company 60% of the vehicle’s value. That’s a huge amount for us to bear.
“We’re not even sure whether this GA clause should be covered by the shipping agent or us, the vehicle owners. Right now, it feels like the agents are washing their hands of the matter,” said the 41-year-old, who was shipping his car to Tawau for the first time.
He also expressed frustration after being accused of failing to purchase maritime insurance, despite paying a substantial sum to transport his car to Tawau.
“I asked the agents why insurance wasn’t included in the invoice, and they threw the question back at me, saying, ‘Why didn’t you ask?’ We didn’t know about this. We’re not in the industry.
“Most of the vehicle owners had no idea. We assumed the price we had paid already covered insurance,” he said, adding that he had paid RM2,700 for the shipping service.
Firdaus, who moved from Kuala Kangsar to Tawau three months ago, now incurs extra costs relying on ride-hailing services for his daily commutes, especially with the new school term beginning.
“We’re practically begging, borrowing cars from neighbours, relatives, anyone willing to help,” the father of three said.
“The longer our cars are stranded at the port, the higher the risk of engine damage from a lack of use. This isn’t just unfair; it’s outright exploitation.”
Firdaus added that he and the other affected owners had not used cargo shipping for business but for essential personal reasons, such as moving house, work obligations, and daily transportation needs.
He has since lodged a police report and urged other affected vehicle owners to do the same.
“We don’t even know who to hold accountable because the shipping company has remained silent,” he said, expressing distrust in the agents’ explanations due to the conflicting versions he has heard.
When contacted by FMT, the agent handling the shipment said the issue should be referred to the shipping company. - FMT

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