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For
long, members of the transportation
industry have been aware and alert
to the fact that they carry with
them an international public
responsibility to safeguard lives
and property.
To
bring this shared responsibility to
focus is the agenda of the Crisis
Management seminar and workshop
scheduled for 30-31 January 2002 to
be held in Kuala Lumpur.
One
of the key speakers at the seminar,
called “When Worlds Collide”,
organized by Ports World Sdn Bhd and
Jude Benny Consultants Sdn Bhd is
the Executive Vice President of
Skuld P & I Club, Arthur
Pilkington.
A
lawyer by training, he has worked
for the Norwegian protection and
indemnity club for the past 16
years, and is currently head of
claims. He is also in charge of
their emergency response team which
is involved in all major casualties
involving a Skuld vessel.
In
both these capacities, Pilkington
plays a pivotal role in Crisis
Management.
He
has been actively involved in some
of the most high profile casualties
of recent years, including the
Estonia ferry disaster which claimed
the lives of almost 900 people, and
two of the largest oil spills ever,
the Braer and Sea Empress.
Recently the United Kingdom Shipping
Minister, David Jamieson MP, wrote
to Skuld stating: " I am
writing to thank you on behalf of
the British Government for the steps
that Skuld P&I Club have
recently taken to ensure that the
outstanding claims that arose from
the Braer could finally be paid in
full."
Pilkington
underlined that Skuld believes
strongly in having a pro-active
emergency response philosophy which
is both flexible and sympathetic to
the problems which arise in a
country which suffers a shipping
catastrophe.
Pilkington
commended Malaysia for taking the
lead in developing a postgraduate
degree course for key personnel in
emergencies.
The
MSc in Emergency Response and
Planning, offered by University
Putra Malaysia is designed to create
a common national reflex in
responding to emergencies and
disasters.
The
course coordinator, Dr Ir Mohamed
Daud, will be one of the key
speakers at the seminar.
He
will give an overview of
Malaysia’s nationally-driven and
coordinated Incident Command System.
Datuk
Kapt Hj Abdul Rahim Abdul Aziz, the
general manager of Penang Port
Commission will deliver a paper on
the preparedness of ports and how
they should cope with crisis.
When
crisis hits, it is very often
difficult to site the path of the
legal wrangling.
This
was the view of top maritime lawyer,
Dato’ Jude Benny, who is slotted
to speak at the seminar and co-lead
the crisis communications workshop
on the following day.
Benny
highlighted the turn of events after
September 11 as a case in point.
He
stressed that in crises, the
stakeholders and operational staff
must work in tandem with their media
advisors and lawyers, and their P
& I Clubs in shipping incidents.
The
one-day seminar will be officiated
by Deputy Minister of Transport, Tan
Sri Dato’ Seri DiRaja Ramli Ngah
Talib, with an address on “The
Challenges For Malaysian Transport
& Terminal Operators – When
Crisis Strikes!”
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