KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- There are ample career opportunities for young Malaysians to become marine surveyors, as the country attracts some of the world's leading port developers and global shipping companies.
Minister of Transport, Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said many of the global shipping companies had made Malaysian terminals their regional hubs, investing and participating in the country's growth in the shipping related business such as marine insurance.
"Without qualified marine surveyors, for ship surveys, cargo surveys, claim investigators and so on, the foreign companies would not be attracted to come to Malaysia to transact multi-national shipping business, to invest or to join-venture with our local companies," he said in his keynote speech at the 2005 Asian Marine Insurance & Surveying Forum, here Friday.
At present, Chan said there were around 1,000 qualified surveyors in Malaysia, and that local surveyors are for the most part, ex-seafarers with many years of experience who had reached a certain rank and have opted for life ashore.
"In recent times, young Malaysian graduates especially for those with engineering background have come to realise the surveying industry as an excellent career path, and we hope to see many young Malaysian marine surveyors making their mark in the industry," he said.
He said at present, the standards and expertise were mainly derived from a mentor type of training, with the older ex-seafarers providing the technical expertise and training required.
"We are looking to international markets to assist the local industry with organised, formal training programmes, such as the International Institute of Marine Surveyors (IIMS), which has been gradually introduced to surveyors around the world," said Chan.
Malaysia is the 18th leading exporter and 20th leading importer of goods with exports in the world reaching nearly RM400 billion and imports totalling more than RM300 billion in 2004.
Maritime industry, particularly the shipping business plays an important role in facilitating Malaysia's trade with the rest of the world and thus contributes significantly to the economic development of the country.
"In recent years, Malaysian companies have been making big inroads into shipping industry. For instance, transportation stock analysts are optimistic with the Malaysia National Shipping Company's (MISC Bhd) rising growth of its energy, offshore and heavy engineering activities," said Chan.
This is cache, read story here
