The Malaysia Scuba Diving Association has called for a thorough investigation and stronger enforcement following two fatalities associated with introductory scuba diving activities at Pulau Tioman within 18 days.
The intervention follows the death of 55-year-old Mohammed Seyar Musazay during a Discovery Scuba Diving activity off Kampung Salang on September 30.
According to a report by Malaysian national news agency Bernama, Rompin district police chief Superintendent Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi said Musazay, an Afghan national who was residing in California in the United States, had been visiting Pulau Tioman with his 24-year-old daughter.
Police said the pair and a scuba instructor began a Discovery Scuba Diving activity at around 11am after receiving an equipment briefing and practical training at the beach.
The dive reportedly lasted approximately 20 minutes and reached a depth of around six metres.
According to the police account, the instructor was helping Musazay’s daughter towards the surface from approximately three metres when he noticed Musazay struggling nearby.
The instructor approached him and found that his regulator had become detached from his mouth and that he was unconscious.
Musazay was brought to shore and subsequently transported by boat to Kampung Tekek Health Clinic, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 12.40pm.
His body was later transported to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan for a post-mortem examination.
MSDA Calls for Investigation
In a statement sent directly to The Scuba News, Malaysia Scuba Diving Association President Aminor Azmi Bin Abdul Latip expressed condolences to Musazay’s family and called on the Royal Malaysia Police, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Tioman Development Authority and local authorities to conduct a coordinated investigation.
The association said investigators should establish whether the dive centre held the appropriate operating licences and examine the credentials and current professional status of the instructor involved.
MSDA also wants investigators to determine which training agency’s standards governed the introductory programme, whether those standards were followed and whether the emergency response was consistent with the appropriate safety procedures.
These points are requests for investigation by MSDA. The Scuba News has seen no evidence establishing that the operator or instructor breached licensing requirements or training standards, and neither has been publicly identified in the police information reviewed for this article.
MSDA said the investigation should examine the licences, professional status, training standards and emergency procedures involved while establishing the facts “fairly and without pre-judging the outcome.”
The association has also called for stronger inspections and enforcement by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Tioman Development Authority.
MSDA said severe action, potentially including stopping an operator from conducting business, should follow if investigators establish serious breaches of safety protocols, licensing requirements or negligence.
“Commercial interests must never come before human life,” the association said.
Second Discovery Diving Fatality in 18 Days
MSDA’s intervention follows another fatal incident involving a participant in a discovery scuba diving activity at Pulau Tioman on September 12.
In that case, Bernama reported that 65-year-old Indian national Sabiya Shiek had completed a discovery scuba diving session near Pulau Renggis with six members of her family.
Police said she had returned to the boat and her diving equipment had been removed before she was believed to have slipped while climbing the boat ladder and fallen back into the sea.
She did not resurface.
A search was launched and Shiek was found unconscious on the sandy seabed approximately 15 minutes later. She was subsequently pronounced dead at Kampung Tekek Health Clinic.
That distinction is important. Although both deaths were associated with introductory scuba diving activities at Pulau Tioman, the circumstances described by police were different. The September 12 fatality occurred after the diving activity as Shiek attempted to board the boat, while Musazay became unconscious in the water during the September 30 activity.
No evidence currently available to The Scuba News establishes a common cause between the two incidents.
Diving Oversight on Pulau Tioman
The latest deaths come amid wider discussion about oversight of Malaysia’s recreational diving industry.
The Tioman Development Authority’s licensing guidance states that businesses, including those conducting water activities such as scuba diving within its jurisdiction, require written business licensing from the authority.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture also operates a licensing framework for scuba dive guides. Its current renewal guidance states that licensed scuba tourism guides may operate throughout Malaysian marine waters, subject to areas permitted or approved by the relevant authorities.
The Malaysia Scuba Diving Association describes safety standards, industry development and cooperation with government agencies as part of its role within Malaysia’s recreational diving sector.
MSDA is now urging operators and diving professionals across the country to review their safety procedures rather than wait for the outcome of the Tioman investigation.
“Further incidents will damage public trust in Malaysia’s diving safety standards,” the association said.
The Scuba News will continue to follow the investigation and update this report if Malaysian authorities release further findings, including the result of the post-mortem examination or information concerning the operator involved.
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