TRANSPORT Minister Anthony Loke is scheduled to meet with representatives from big tech companies to clarify Malaysia’s cabotage policy restrictions for submarine cable repair, as well as reassure foreign investors about Malaysia’s future policies.

Loke said businesses and investors require clarity and the ministry intended to provide it, as well as help them make more investments in Malaysia.

“My role as the minister is to provide certainty and clarity of policies. I think companies would just want that and we will hear them out too,” he said in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said submarine cable repair is a subsector issue within cabotage policy and is highly particular, thus, it does not need to be handled by industry.

“What they (IT companies and investors) need is just that the ship can be dispatched and reach the destination quickly to do the repair efficiently, and that’s the only issue,” he said, adding that the issue of undersea cable repair does not affect the maritime business as a whole, but it is vital to the IT industry.

“We will listen to them and if there is a need, we will invite them,” he said.

Previously, the Transport Ministry was working to reinstate exemptions granted to non-Malaysian vessels conducting undersea cable repairs in 2019. – Bernama, May 5, 2023.