FOREIGN vessels involved in operations to repair undersea cables will be exempted from obtaining an endorsement from the Malaysian Shipping Association (MASA), said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

“The government has gazetted the exemption on March 29,” Loke told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.

Under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance, foreign vessels are required to obtain an endorsement before operating in Malaysian waters.

“The average time taken to repair undersea cables is around 27 days if they operate from Malaysia and hence many of these companies prefer operating from Singapore even though the route is longer,” said Loke.

“This exemption can cut down the time taken to 14 days.”

He said the exemption, which was requested by local companies such as Telekom and Time Dot Com, was only valid for vessels involved in repairing undersea cables. – April 11, 2019.

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