Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on Thursday launched the 'K3M' application that will facilitate the process of channeling information by the maritime community.

The K3M application, which stands for "Kesedaran" (awareness), "Keselamatan" (safety) and "Komuniti" (community), is an outcome of a collaboration between the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

It was launched in a bid to increase safety at sea for the maritime community as it enables them to report emergencies instantly, as well as shortening response time from the authorities such as RMN and MMEA.

Hishammuddin also launched the "Rakan Maritim" (RAKAM) or Friends of Maritime, an initiative to bring RMN closer to the maritime community through various activities and sharing of information.

After the launch, Hishammuddin was given a sail-by salute by 42 ships berthed at Porto Malai near here in conjunction with the 2017 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition. --Bernama