Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the Malaysia Maritime Single Window (MMSW), which aggregates all clearance requirements for incoming vessels, will be operational in the fourth quarter of the year.
Currently, vessels arriving in Malaysia have to obtain clearance from 12 separate agencies through multiple platforms before they are allowed to dock.
Some of these processes are still being done manually.
Loke said that under the MMSW, there will be a single platform for ship owners to seek and obtain all clearance for their vessels.
The provision of such facility under the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic is mandatory for all countries in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) from Jan 1 next year.
He said that under the MMSW, the process to approve and award clearance to incoming vessels will be streamlined, bureaucratic hurdles will be reduced and overall port efficiency will be enhanced.
“The MMSW significantly reduces the opportunities for corruption by centralising data and processes, eliminating unnecessary intermediaries and fostering transparency,” he said.
Loke said the Port Klang Authority (PKA) and Johor Port Authority were appointed to undertake the development of a unified platform.
“When it is operational by Q4, it will be made available to all ports in Malaysia,” he told a press conference after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by the PKA with government agencies and industry players here today.
The MoU is on measures to curb bribery within the maritime industry.
He said this is crucial to help Malaysia improve its competitiveness, particularly in port services, by streamlining processes, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, and enhancing overall efficiency.
“The MMSW significantly reduces the opportunities for corruption by centralising data and processes, eliminating unnecessary intermediaries, and fostering transparency throughout the maritime supply chain,” he said.
According to a Malay Mail report in April, Loke said the MMSW would be ready by Q3 this year, and would be rolled out in the Klang and Johor ports by the end of 2023.
“The direction that we are taking is we will get the approval of the Cabinet, whereby the transport ministry will be the lead agency in building the system so that we can, firstly, fulfil the obligation to IMO and secondly it will definitely help increase the efficiency of the ports,” he said.
Separately, Loke said the authorities were still investigating the cause of a fire at Northport (M) Bhd yesterday that left several shipping containers damaged.
Yesterday, 13 containers storing flammable materials caught fire at a Northport container yard near Jalan Pelabuhan Utara, Port Klang, Malay Mail reported.