KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 – There is a need for greater efforts to attract young local talents into considering a career in the maritime industry as well as its related services, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai. He said the success of the maritime industry depended on an adequate supply of highly qualified maritime personnel without depending too much on foreign seafarers’ talents.
“To make this happen, the industry must be seen appealing to new generations as a rewarding and fulfilling career,” he said when officiating World Maritime Day 2017 here today. Speaking at a media conference later, Liow said there are currently about 5,000 locals working on board Malaysian vessels.
He pointed out that the industry needed to beef up the number of local seafarers because there are currently more than 6,000 foreigners working on board Malaysian-registered ships. Liow said the industry had trained thousands of local seafarers every year but most of them chose to work on board foreign vessels.
“We want them to work with Malaysia’s vessels, but we have to strengthen our shipping lines and industry first,” he said. Therefore, the Transport Minister said several strategies and efforts were being planned to increase the number of local seamen in the future, including amending the Malaysian Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 to register more Malaysian vessels.
Liow said the amendments, which among others include online registration of ships and vessels, will help to reduce bureaucracy for ships to be registered as Malaysian vessels and carry the Malaysian flag. Other efforts include training to attract more seafarers in Sarawak and Sabah, he said.
In the meanwhile, he also explained that the strategies and efforts were part of the Malaysia Shipping Master Plan to revitalise the shipping industry and maritime sector in Malaysia via structured strategies, thus to further develop the nation’s maritime industry.
On another note, Liow also announced that Malaysia is vying for a seat in the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Council for the 2018-2019 term during the general assembly of IMO in November. “Malaysia is keen and determined to continue playing an active part in achieving IMO’s aspirations for safer seas and excellent standard of maritime ecosystem. I’m confident that we can contribute even more by serving in the IMO council,” he added. — Bernama
