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With
just only two more weeks before
Standards of Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1995
(STCW 95) comes into force on 1
February 2002, a very large numbers
of seamen from countries in Asia,
including Malaysia, Singapore and
Indonesia, could be technically
barred from working on ships because
of lack of shipboard qualification
mandated by the International
Maritime Organisation.
It
is understood a very large number
seamen from these countries have yet
to submit certificates for
endorsement as required under the
STCW 95.
Maritime
authorities in the region have
reported alarmingly low percentages
of seafarers have been issued with
certificates of endorsements
required when STCW 95 comes into
force on February 1 worldwide.
According
to the Peninsular Malaysia Marine
Department, out of more than 40,000
Malaysian nationals registered as
seafarers as of mid-December 2001,
only 2,251 had obtained the
necessary upgrades in qualifications
to comply with the convention.
In
Singapore, which is rated as the
world’s seventh largest ship
registry, it is understood to date
fewer than 20 per cent of officers
serving onboard Singapore-flagged
ships have been issued with their
certificate of endorsements.
The
Malaysian Marine Department said
that, as of December 12 2001, it had
only issued 2,251 certificates of
competency for 40,405 Malaysian
seafarers.
Of
these, 363 were issued to deck
officers, 401 to engine officers and
1,487 to ratings.
According
to the Maritime & Port Authority
of Singapore, only 2,116 of an
estimated 13,000 officers on
Singapore-flagged ships have been
issued with certificates of
endorsement.
Shipowners
and managers have been blamed for
lacking in initiatives submit
applications for seamen serving on
their ships.
The
MPA said it has 2,555 applications
to be processed, meaning that
applications for about 8,400
seafarers, or 64 per cent, of those
serving on Singapore- flag ships,
have not been submitted.
A
spokesman for the MPA said: “We
continue to receive large numbers of
applications from chief executives
every day. We have also repeatedly
impressed upon shipowners the need
to ensure that their crews apply for
their chief executives as soon as
possible.”
“Part
of the problem is that some shipping
companies are not giving time off
for officers and crew to attend the
upgrading courses and seafarers
don’t have the incentive to do
it,” said Captain Abdul Rahim Akob,
seamen affairs and port division
director of the Malaysian Marine
Department.
Malaysia
is also taking steps to sign
memorandum of understanding with
labour supplying countries and flag
states for mutual facilitation.
Malaysia
is expected to sign these agreements
with Singapore and the Philippines
soon.
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