Consultants are expected to be invited soon to submit proposals for the development of the Marine Electronic Highway in East Asian seas which aims create an integrated system of physical infrastructure, hardware and software, processes and resources to improve the safety of navigation and the prevention of marine pollution in the busy seas of the area.

Confirming this the Director-General of the Marine Department of Peninsular Malaysia, Captain Raja Malik Saripulazan said consultants will be appointed to develop a prototype system of Marine Electronic Highway (MEH) to monitor vessel movements in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore which formed the phase one of the development in the East Asian Seas.

"It is envisaged that with the inception of the MEH, safety and efficiency of navigation will increase and the manoeuvring large vessels in the Straits will no longer be a nightmare to shipmasters,” Capt  Raja Malik, who is entrusted to head the regional MEH project of International Maritime Organisation

The World Bank has granted an initial some of US$350,000 for the first phase development MEH.

According to Capt Raja Malik the development of MEH is seen as the timely move as it further improve the safety of navigation and the prevention of marine pollution in the busy seas of East Asia. 

Upon completion of region MEH in the Starits of Malacca it will be extended to Japan under Phase Two while the Phase Three will include the entire network with emphasis on oil and gas transportation routes.

The MEH project will have three key elements, namely, maritime safety, environment protection and management, and sustainable financing. Within maritime safety, precision navigation constitutes the backbone of the marine electronic highway.

The first meeting of the project steering committee on development of a regional MEH was held on 19 and 20 March Putrajaya, Malaysia. It was attended by delegations from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, as well as representatives from the World Bank, the International Maritime Organization and PEMSEA (Partnership for Environmental Management in the Seas of East Asia). Observers from the World Meteorological Organization, Japanese Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard also attended.

The second project steering committee meeting is schedule on January 2002.

Essentially, the Marine Electronic Highway will be build upon a network of electronic nautical charts (ENCs) using Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) and environmental management systems into an integrated system in the region, allowing the maximum of information to be made available to both ships and shipmasters as well as shore-based users such as vessel traffic control systems.

The integrated system - which would include electronic nautical charts, positioning systems, automatic ship identification (AIS) transponders as well as provision of meteorological, oceanographic and navigational information - will provide an essential tool for marine pollution prevention, marine pollution control, marine environmental planning and management, as well as safety of navigation.

The Marine Electronic Highway Project is therefore an integrated system of innovative technological tools, which also involves intergovernmental and intersectoral co-operative mechanisms for maritime safety and protection of the marine environment. The system will also include financial, legal and institutional mechanisms that will allow it to be fully functional, efficient and sustainable.