JLM provides shipping services to vessels that enter the country’s waters and lay anchor at its port
Malaysians are now familiar with the Land Public Transport Commission or ‘SPAD’ which is the authority that plans, regulates and enforces all matters relating to land public transport in Peninsular Malaysia.
At sea, the role is played by Marine Department of Malaysia (JLM) that ensures and monitors the safety of shipping traffic in the country’s waters.
The tasks of this marine authority include inspection of ships to determine whether they are seaworthy, or otherwise apart from certification, registration and licensing of vessels.
The JLM provides shipping services to vessels that enter the country’s waters and lay anchor at its ports.
However many are not aware of JLM’s tasks where this agency is moving towards global-recognition in terms of ensuring maritime safety and marine environmental protection by the year 2020.
BUSY MELAKA STRAITS
JLM looks after and supervises shipping traffic along the Melaka Straits which is among the world’s important shipping routes.
With thousands of ships using Melaka Straits in a year, the straits is similar to that of the Suez Canal (Egypt) and Panama Canal (Panama) in terms of its economic and security importance.
Melaka Straits is the route for half of the world’s oil supply and a third of its trade. Hence, it is important in terms of safety and the threat posed by by pirates.
However in the past four years, there was almost no reported case of piracy against merchant ships that move through the straits.
Apart from the continuous surveillance by enforcement agencies such as ‘Maritim Malaysia’, this shipping lane is monitored by the automatic detection system that is integrated via the Vessel Traffic System (VTS).
The movement and information of ships are obtained through radar, radio and data management system which helps to identify the presence of pirates, said JLM Director-General Datuk Kapten Ahmad Othman.
REDUCE COLLISION RISKS
Ahmad said the JLM provides the Automatic Identification System (AIS) where ships and vessels equipped with the AIS can be easily located and identified.
Hence, the ships can be warned and made aware over the presence of other vessels in their vicinity and preventing collission.
Ahmad said JLM trains the VTS staff to meet the international requirements and so far the department has 1,783 personnel nationwide.
Each merchant ship that uses the Melaka Straits need to report to the VTS control centre.
When the ship reaches the port, inspection will be carried out using the
mandatory Ship Reporting In the Straits of Melaka and Singapore which is enforced since Dec 1, 1998.
STATISTICS
According to JLM, more than 70,000 vessels including merchant and cargo ships, military vessels and fishing trawlers pass through the Melaka Straits every year.
Last year, 75,477 vessle including 4,677 from Malaysia passed through the straits.
He said regular checks are done on Malaysian-registered ships to ensure the vessels are seaworthy.
The JLM also maintains navigation aids such as lighthouses and buoys.
Source: BERNAMA
