Malaysian Government News

Malaysia is pushing for a renewed search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the transport minister said on Sunday, as the 10th anniversary of its disappearance in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries approaches.Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.Malaysian investigators initially did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft had been deliberately taken off course, and debris…

AET delivered its newest vessel, the first of three Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) powered by dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines, on long-term charter to Shell Tankers (Singapore) Private Limited.The Malaysian-flagged Eagle Vellore was named at a ceremony at the MMHE Pasir Gudang yard, attended by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Malaysia and other Malaysian government officials. The naming of the 300,000 dwt tanker in Malaysia marks an important milestone for AET…

Southampton, UK-based hovercraft builder Griffon Hoverwork has won two new orders for its latest model the 995ED.The 995ED was launched at the Exponaval maritime exhibition in Chile in December 2018 following delivery of the first production craft to the Malaysian Government’s Marine Department which is being used for the maintenance of navigation marks and light houses. And now Griffon’s production line is busy building another 995ED for a private client for use in icy conditions.

A report issued by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) found that a February 9, 2019 collision between a Greece-registered bulk carrier and a Malaysian Government vessel within Singapore Port Limits off Tuas was caused by a turning error.As the collision took place in Singapore Territorial Waters, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) launched an investigation into the facts surrounding the collision.The MPA investigation showed that an error in the turning maneuver carried out by PIREAS caused it to collide with POLARIS, which was anchored at the time in a non-designated anchorage within Singapore Port Limits.  MPA has issued a stern written warning to the master of PIREAS for the collision.

A $250 million superyacht, impounded as part of a hunt for assets linked to the multi-billion dollar investigation into 1Malaysia Development Bhd, arrived at a port in Malaysia on Tuesday about six months after it was seized.The Cayman Islands-flagged Equanimity was first seized in the Indonesian holiday venue of Bali in February at the request of U.S. authorities investigating 1MDB.The Malaysian state fund is at the center of money-laundering probes in at least six countries, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. A total of $4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB by high-level officials of the fund and their associates, according to the U.S.

U.S.-based seabed exploration firm Ocean Infinity on Wednesday said it was moving a vessel closer to a possible search area for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 as it soon expects to be awarded a contract by Malaysia to resume the search. The disappearance of the aircraft en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 with 239 people aboard ranks among the world’s greatest aviation mysteries. Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200-million ($156.62 million) search in January last year.

Two French former defence industry executives have been placed under preliminary investigation as part of a probe into the 2002 sale of submarines to Malaysia, an official in the French judiciary said on Wednesday. The source said Philippe Japiot and Jean-Paul Perrier, former executives at Thales and DCNS, had been placed under investigation as part of a long-running probe into alleged kickbacks from that Malaysian submarines deal in 2002. Japiot and Perrier deny any wrongdoing, French media reports said. Reuters was unable to immediately reach either individual. Being a target of a preliminary investigation or a formal investigation in France does not necessarily lead to a trial.

A meeting of countries in the Wider Caribbean Region is renewing regional coordination to help implement International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Ballast Water Management Convention and thereby minimize the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens in ships' ballast water. Topics discussed at the workshop, being held in Panama City (5-9 June), include ways for moving ratification and implementation forward throughout the region; exchanging information; a revised regional strategic action plan; reestablishment of a regional task force; and lessons learned from the GloBallast project – set up to help implement the Convention. Seven thousand species are transferred in ballast water every hour of every day – See infographic to find out about more via the ballast water in numbers.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is participating in the annual gathering of Asia Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety Agencies (APHoMSA) in Langkawi, Malaysia (20-24 March). Participants from 24 IMO Member States as well as observers from IALA, IHO and SPC are taking part in discussions surrounding APHoMSA's work to promote safe, secure shipping and a clean marine environment within the Asia-Pacific region. The event coincides with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2017 week, which brings together senior maritime officials from Pacific Ocean Rim countries and territories to exchange ideas and identify areas of cooperation.

Malaysia has said that more than 100 Chinese fishing boats have been spotted within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Sarawak in the latest incident involving Chinese vessels in the disputed waters. The boats were sighted near Beting Patinggi Ali, also known as Luconia Shoals, about 100km off the coast of Miri in Sarawak. Malaysia planned to take action against them. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the government has instructed the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to deploy its assets to monitor the situation. "Three MMEA vessels have been deployed to the area. The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) assets are also there.

Paul Charlton, Managing Director of BMT WBM’s Machinery Group discusses the new bulk handling facilities being built at Samalaju Port in East Malaysia. In its efforts to efficiently service the anticipated increase in cargo which will be generated by industries relocating to the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd, a Malaysian government-linked company, is investing approximately RM1.89 billion ($500 million USD) in the emerging port of Samalaju in East Malaysia.

The Malaysian government has signed a new contract with Boustead DCNS Naval Corporation (BDNC) for through-life support for the two 2000 type Scorpene submarines of the Royal Malaysian Navy, based at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. DCNS, the French naval company that is a partner in the joint venture business with Malaysia's Boustead Heavy Industries Corp., said the maintenance support contract was signed and will remain in force for a period of two years. This new agreement makes it possible to extend the through-life support time for the two 2000 type Scorpène submarines currently in service before the beginning of their first major maintenance campaign.

To meet the growing demand in the region, DNV GL opened a new office in Malaysia. The official opening of the office coincided with the company’s celebration of a double milestone: 150 years of history as a world leader in classification and technical assurance services and its first year as a newly merged company. "According to the OECD, growth in the Emerging Asian economies (South East Asia, China and India) is expected to be a robust 6.9% for the 2014-18 period. Registering a 6.4% growth in Q2 of 2014, Malaysia has a well-diversified economy, with major contributors coming from export-driven service and manufacturing industries as well as the mining and agricultural sectors. The country is a key driver of offshore investments and is building substantial offshore infrastructure.

Australia, Malaysia and China have decided to extend the search area in the southern Indian Ocean, which represents the highest priority for future search efforts for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, informs Australia’s JACC. An expert satellite working group has reviewed all existing information in order to define a search zone of up to 60,000 square kilometers along the arc in the southern Indian Ocean. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said the latest search area refinement had involved the efforts and expertise of specialists from around the world. “Specialists have…

Philippine navy will soon return to a South China Sea island it lost to Vietnam 40 years ago to drink beer and play volleyball with Vietnamese sailors, symbolising how once-suspicious neighbours are cooperating in the face of China's assertiveness in disputed waters. Diplomats and experts describe the nascent partnership as part of a web of evolving relationships across Asia that are being driven by fear of China as well as doubts among some, especially in Japan, over the U.S. commitment to the region. When U.S. President Barack Obama visits Asia this month he will see signs that once-disparate nations are strategising for the future, even though he will likely seek to shore-up faith in America's "pivot" back to the region.

The Philippine navy will soon return to a South China Sea island it lost to Vietnam 40 years ago to drink beer and play volleyball with Vietnamese sailors, symbolizing how once-suspicious neighbors are cooperating in the face of China's assertiveness in disputed waters. Diplomats and experts describe the nascent partnership as part of a web of evolving relationships across Asia that are being driven by fear of China as well as doubts among some, especially in Japan, over the U.S. commitment to the region. When U.S. President Barack Obama visits Asia this month he will see signs that once-disparate nations are strategizing for the future, even though he will likely seek to shore-up faith in America's "pivot" back to the region.

Australian shipbuilder Strategic Marine has broken new ground by winning a contract to build a 23.9m new generation compact tug – the first tugboat signing in the company’s history. The vessel, which has a 60 ton bollard pull, has been ordered by the of – another breakthrough since the Port becomes Strategic Marine’s first client. The steel vessel, which will have a deadweight of 105 tons and a free-running speed of 12 knots, will be powered by a Voith Water Tractor. These propulsion systems have become a byword for safety, reliability and precision in ship-handling and escort applications, with 800 Voith tugs currently operating in 120 ports worldwide.

According to reports, aimed at stemming the outflow of capital for the acquisition of marine transport products, especially ships, the Malaysian Government will seek to strengthen the capacity and capability of the shipbuilding and ship repair sector in the country under the recently-launched Third Industrial Master Plan (2006-2020) (IMP3). Giving the push to the shipbuilding and ship repair sector is among the five strategic thrusts for the long-term growth and viability of the marine transport subsector. Last year, Malaysia imported various marine transport products and it has been estimated that the outflow of the capital for this sector increased by an annual rate of 3.6 percent during the 1996-2005 period.