3 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Review maritime laws with Sabah, Sarawak a harmonisation exercise, says Loke
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will review maritime laws with Sabah and Sarawak, ensuring that the process respects the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and preserves the states' maritime powers.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the Malaysia Maritime Law Revision and Reform Committee (MLRRC) had been given one year to complete their review, which was aimed to harmonise the outdated laws.
"All six Acts will be reviewed in an integrated manner, and we hope to take a more comprehensive approach.
"The principle here is that we are not looking to consolidate authorities, especially with regard to merchant shipping. We are not trying to merge or take over any authority from Sabah and Sarawak.
"Maritime powers under the Sabah and Sarawak governments will remain intact. We respect the MA63.
"What we are doing now is a harmonisation exercise. By harmonisation, we mean that if there are inconsistencies or conflicting provisions across laws, we aim to align them so that the legal provisions between the peninsula, Sabah, and Sarawak are consistent.
"That is what we are working on, with cooperation and consent from the Sabah and Sarawak governments," he told reporters after officiating Malaysia Maritime Week today.
Last week, Loke announced the establishment of MLRRC, which would be chaired by Federal Court judge Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan.
The first phase of the MLRRC Committee's assignment will focus on six main legislative instruments, namely the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1960 (Sabah) and the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1960 (Sarawak).
Other instruments include the Penang Port Commission Act 1955, the Port Authorities Act 1963 and the Port (Privatisation) Act 1990.
The MLRRC membership consists of 23 permanent representatives from ministries or departments, and the Sabah and Sarawak governments.
Loke said the revision was necessary as many of the existing maritime laws were outdated and had not been amended.
"Many of these laws are no longer relevant or in line with current developments. We need to revisit them to ensure our maritime industry remains competitive," he said.
He added that although the committee tasked with the review was given a one-year timeframe, they had been instructed to expedite the process.
"Once the review is completed, we will appoint consultants to examine the legislation and draft the necessary amendments. When the drafts are ready, they can be presented to the ministry at any time.
"We hope that starting this year, we will be able to table proposed amendments during every parliamentary sitting," he said.
