PETALING JAYA: The transport ministry’s newly launched online licensing system for subsea cable repairs has received positive response from industry players, said transport minister Loke Siew Fook.
“Developed upon more streamlined processes, the new system facilitates speedy approvals for vessels conducting subsea cable repairs in Malaysian waters.
“The feedback from the industry players has been encouraging,” he said in a statement today.
The system has been online since July 1.
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Stressing that investors want policies that are “clear, certain and compatible with the changing times”, he said reforms in domestic shipping policies and laws can start a “positive feedback loop” which results in more investments into subsea cables and digital infrastructure.
Loke issued the statement after a policy meeting with senior leaders from tech and telecommunications companies such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon Web Services, TM and Time dotCom. Also present was communications and digital minister Fahmi Fadzil.
In March, Loke said the transport ministry will conduct further studies on the direction of the country’s cabotage policy to take into account the industry’s needs and other factors.
He was replying to a parliamentary question from Lim Guan Eng on whether the government would restore the cabotage exemption for high-tech companies to repair undersea cables.
Cabotage refers to the right to operate vessels in a particular territory, with laws largely meant to protect domestic industries from foreign competition, ensure the safety of a country’s borders, and regulate activities in a country’s waters.
A cabotage exemption allows foreign vessels to carry out certain activities, such as undersea cable repairs, free from certain restrictions.
In 2019, Loke, who was helming the transport ministry at the time, announced that foreign vessels carrying out undersea cable repairs and maintenance work would be free from some of the usual cabotage requirements and fees, to speed up the approval process.
However, the following year, the exemption was revoked by the Perikatan Nasional-led government.
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