Malayan Naval Force

by Mudzaffar Alfian


MNF Flag post 1958                     MNF Flag post 1966
                                                                     
The Malay Navy, which was the Malay Section of the Royal Navy, was reactivated on 24 December 1948 at the outbreak of the Communist Emergency, when the Malayan Naval Force regulation was officially gazetted on 4 March 1949. The Malayan Naval Force or the MNF was based at an ex-Royal Air Force radio base station in Woodlands, Singapore. The base was initially called the 'MNF Barracks' but later renamed HMS Malaya. The main function of the Malayan Naval Force(MNF) was coastal patrol in order to stop the communist terrorists from receiving supplies from the sea. In addition, the Force was tasked with guarding the approaches to Singapore and other ports. The MNF was firstly equipped with a River-class frigate HMS Test that was used as a training ship but by 1950 had in service an ex-Japanese minelayer HMS Laburnum*, a Landing Craft Tank (LCT), HMS Pelandok, motor fishing vessel HMS Panglima, torpedo recovery vessel HMS Simbang and several seaward defence motor launches (SDML). The vessels of the Force were later renamed with the prefix Malayan Ship(MS) to differentiate them from Royal Navy units. In August 1952 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, bestowed the title 'Royal Malayan Navy' Singapore to the Malayan Naval Force in recognition of their sterling service in action during the Malayan Emergency. The navy's ships now carried the prefix Her Majesty's Malayan Ship(HMMS) and subsequently flew her own white ensign on 31 December 1956. The Royal Malayan Navy Singapore that was then still part of the Royal Navy, was eventually transferred to the independent Federation of Malaya on 12 July 1958 and renamed the Royal Malayan Navy(RMN). With the hoisting of The Federation naval ensign - the White Ensign modified by the substitution of the Union Jack with the Federation flag in the upper left corner- the RMN was thus made responsible for Malaya's maritime self defence. The new navy bravely shouldered the responsibility with only an operational and training base at HMMS MALAYA and a small coastal fleet of 1 LCT, 2 Ham-class inshore minesweepers, 1 coastal minelayer and 7 ML's (ex RN's 200th Patrol Squadron) on free transfer from the Royal Navy.
* see Photo page also
The author would like contact with anyone who served in or has knowledge of the MNF
Email to: mumuchi@yahoo.com

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