PORT KLANG, May 30 – His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Montreal, a Halifax-class frigate of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), docked at Port Klang near here on Wednesday for a six-day visit to the country.
Canada’s High Commission in a statement said the visit of the navy fully demonstrated the great relations between the two countries and also reflect Canada’s strong commitment to its vibrant partnerships in ASEAN and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
“The ship deployed from the East Coast of Canada all the way to the Indo-Pacific region further illustrating Canada’s commitment to promote regional security and stability by deepening and strengthening its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, including Malaysia.
“This is the inaugural visit of the HMCS Montreal to Malaysia and the ship is a great representation of the common values shared by both Canada and Malaysia – diversity, democracy, and a mutual aspiration for peace, stability, and prosperity within the Indo-Pacific region,“ the statement said.
During their stop in Malaysia until June 3, bilateral office calls are planned with the Royal Malaysian Navy’s (RMN) and HMCS Montreal’s executive staff, including a ship’s tour for RMN sailors and a cooperative deployment with an RMN vessel.
According to the statement, the HMCS port visits to Malaysia are an integral contributor to Canada-Malaysia bilateral defence relations complementing Op MANTIS, which is a Canada-Malaysia chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear training initiative, and the Directorate of Military Training and Cooperation course offerings in Canada.
As a Halifax-class frigate, HMCS Montréal carries extensive anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare weapons and sensors to complement its substantial anti-air warfare defences.