LOKE ANNOUNCES NATIONAL SHIPPING POLICY PROPOSAL TO BOOST LOCAL INDUSTRY

PUTRAJAYA, July 4 (Bernama) -- A national shipping policy will be introduced to guide the local shipping sector in exports and imports, and create new job opportunities, announced Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

He said that the proposal for this policy was raised during the meeting of the National Shipping and Port Council, which he chaired today.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, he stated that the policy is aimed at encouraging the use of local ships and crew for cargo and freight services, especially in the fields of oil and gas or major commodities.

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"There will be detailed discussions with various stakeholders on this policy proposal. We hope to present it to the Cabinet by the end of this year.

"It aims to establish a guiding policy for the growth of the national shipping industry, which is vital for the nation's economy and security," he said.

"We want to expose young Malaysians to this industry. School leavers, particularly those with Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or university graduates have not been interested in the shipping industry. 

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"They usually do not choose seafaring as a career option, but I want to emphasise that seafarers have many attractive opportunities and can earn high incomes," he said.

He noted that seafaring is also a promising profession due to the current shortage of manpower in the shipping industry worldwide.

Another issue raised in the meeting was on enhancing the capacity and competency of the country's ports, including through digitalisation, he added.

"The government will continue to encourage investment in our ports, including through port digitalisation, to make them more competitive and advanced," he said.

-- BERNAMA