BAGAN DATOH, MALAYSIA: A short-circuit caused the fire on KD Seri Indera-pura, the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN) biggest landing craft, at the RMN base jetty in Lumut.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a team had identified the source of the blaze on Oct 8 as a wiring fault on the 40-year-old vessel.

He said his ministry had the option of either making the vessel a RMN museum piece or have it sold for used parts. "We will get advice from the National Audit Department," he told reporters after a 1Malaysia programme here yesterday.

Ahmad Zahid said there were efforts to replace the ship and his ministry was evaluating vessels from South Korea, France and Germany.

As the building of a new ship will take between 48 and 60 months, work on the matter had already begun.

He said a proposal to sink the KD Seri Inderapura as an artificial reef off Pulau Sembilan was abandoned as it was considered to be dangerous. - Bernama