More locals needed to fill up sea freight jobs, says federal deputy minister

MIRI (Aug 8): There is a crucial need for the locals to be trained and hired as maritime professionals, said federal Transport deputy minister Datuk Hasbi Habibolah.

This, he pointed out, is to meet the demand of the shipping industry and to fill in the shortage of local skillful workers which are currently filled-up by foreigners.

“By having more local seafarers, this can indirectly support the nation’s shipping sector, as well as stem the influx of foreign seafarers,” he said.

He said this at a certificate presentation ceremony to 10 navigation officers and 17 deckhand apprentices of the Pelita Maslaut Maritime Training Institution here today.

The institute, he lauded, has grown into becoming the state’s largest maritime training institute since its inception in 2009 in Sibu.

With the support of the Sarawak government through the Sarawak Foundation, he said the institute’s initiative has brought much success in producing a highly skilled workforce for the domestic shipping industry.

Both the government and shipping companies, he said, ought to continue in giving their support towards the initiative carried out by the maritime institution, by giving the locals employment opportunities.

The deputy minister said his ministry will also undertake continuous efforts to encourage more Malaysians to join the maritime industry.

Citing a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Hasbi remarked that around 80 per cent of the volume of international trade in goods is carried by sea, and the percentage is even higher for most developing countries.

“This (seafarer) community drives the domestic shipping industry and is responsible for the smooth operations of maritime transport of goods,” he said, adding that such employment opportunities will bring about positive socio-economic impact.

Also present at the event were Pelita Maslaut Sdn Bhd managing director Masni Amit, Miri Marine Office assistant director Sharizan Jili, and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency commander Muhd Firdau Saniman.