Proposed Review Of EJS Creates Better Navigational Efficiency - Liow





PUTRAJAYA, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- The proposed review of the East Johor Straits (EJS) Pilotage Guideline to relax maritime traffic restriction of night operation of vessels in Singapore waters will create better navigational efficiency and productivity as well as improve overall safety of navigation along EJS, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said Singapore had agreed to review the EJS following the meeting of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at the 8th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders´ Retreat yesterday.

At present, he said the EJS Pilotage Guidelines permit vessels of more than 240 meters in length to transit the straits only during daylight hours.

"We are asking them (Singapore) to allow us to have more flexible hours to use the passage… The current restriction limits the operational efficiency of Johor Port and at the same time creates unnecessary congestion and bunching of vessels in a very limited waterway, " he said at a press conference here today.

Liow said every year, more than 6,000 vessels transit the straits to enter Johor Port, Tanjung Langsat Port Terminal and other port facilities within Pasir Gudang Port.

Earlier, Liow witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Collaboration between Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) for the implementation of eCall Malaysia.

On the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at the southern Indian Ocean which began today, Liow said the Malaysian government would work closely with the expert team and the vessel owners concerned to obtain maximum information and updates for the next-of-kin.

"There are two Malaysian officers on board who will provide daily updates to the response team chaired by Department of Civil Aviation Director-General Dtauk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman. He will receive information on a daily basis on the search, " he said.

Last Wednesday, Malaysia signed an agreement with United States-based seabed exploration company, Ocean Infinity Limited to begin a new search for MH370.

The Seabed Constructor vessel would cover an area of 25,000 sq km within 90 days.

Australia, China and Malaysia, which jointly coordinated and funded the search operation, had in January last year suspended the search for MH370 when traces of the Boeing 777 could not be found in the 120,000 sq km search area of the southern Indian Ocean.

Flight MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. It had 239 passengers and crew members on board.

-- BERNAMA