LANGKAWI: Enforcing the various maritime laws in Malaysia is a fragmented affair, cutting across more than 10 ministries and 31 maritime-related agencies, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said the government recognises the need for an ocean governance regime for Malaysia, with an overarching policy encompassing all maritime aspects from security to safety, to economy and the environment.
If Malaysia continued to manage its seas in fragments, he said, the overlapping of jurisdictions and conflicts of interests between the sectors will never be resolved.
"Malaysia is indeed blessed with all the attributes of a maritime nation. Our strategic location positions us at the focal point on the map of maritime trade where 90 per cent of trade is via shipping. We have beautiful coastlines and islands and they bring millions of tourists to our shores.
"Our seas are home to bountiful natural resources that provide livelihood to fishermen while big players in the fishing and aquaculture industries have been making handsome economic gains. Our ocean is also host to thriving oil and gas explorations and industries.
"And there are still numerous natural resources, seabed minerals which have yet to be explored. They, too, promise our nation wealthy returns.
"Malaysia’s dependency on the ocean can never be understated and it is naturally so, given that it is surrounded by seas and its maritime space is virtually two times bigger than our land area. This dependency extends to almost all sectors particularly in food, trade, energy, transportation, tourism and security.
"With such a vast sea area, which offers a diverse range of living and non-living resources, and being strategically located at the centre of important shipping lanes, the waters surrounding us carry tremendous environmental, socio-economic and strategic value to the nation," he said.
Dr Mahathir said this in his keynote address when launching the National Maritime Conference (NMC) being held in conjunction with the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition (Lima) 2019. The theme of the conference is "Malaysia a Maritime Nation: Charting the Passage".
Dr Mahathir said the maritime sector was a crucial contributor to the country’s socio-economic wealth and security and this would become even more significant as Malaysia aspires to become a fully developed nation.
However, he warned that a balanced, strategic and proper exploitation of the relevant maritime resources must be conducted and managed in a sustainable manner.
"In our race to become a developed nation, our readily available natural resources must be consolidated and optimised. As demanded by the principle of Sustainable Development which we subscribe to, there shouldn’t be any unscrupulous exploitation of the country's marine natural resources for the sake of economic growth per se,” he said.
He added that the guiding principle of sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
“Thus, when it comes to exploiting and optimising the use of our seas and marine resources, we must always pay very serious consideration on the conservation aspects of our marine environment.
"Unfortunately, apart from having to balance economic development and conservation of our marine environment, our marine ecosystem and biodiversity are also being threatened by other factors like climate change and global warming, apart from food, water and energy security issues.
"Therefore, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the government is keen on the principles of the Blue Economy, where sustainable economic growth should always be in line with maintaining the ocean’s health," said Dr Mahathir.
To overcome threats to the nation's maritime resources and security, Dr Mahathir said a well-coordinated effort cutting across all government sectors was needed.
"Enforcement activities can only b
e effective when there is sound Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability. Several agencies have in fact been equipped with a range of ISR capabilities, which should be shared through proper coordination with other enforcement agencies to further strengthen enforcement at sea.
"Since the present government took office in May last year, it has been our priority to enhance integrity, and minimise leakage and wastage. The government coffers had been drained excessively, leaving the country in huge debts.
"The global economic downturn has only made it worse, making wise and prudent spending the only option. Government expenses must be cut down in order to survive and reduce our debts. We will, without doubt, be prudent in spending, especially on new assets and capabilities.
"It is high time for all maritime-related agencies to collaborate and consolidate necessary work processes. This effort can be achieved through greater understanding, trust and open communication.
"Overlapping jurisdictions must be immediately addressed to overcome wastage of government resources. Coordinated and integrated approach should be the answer to strengthen maritime enforcement."