For 2020, the Day of the Seafarer movement calls on International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Member States to recognize seafarers as key workers and to provide them with the support, assistance and travel options open to all key workers during the pandemic. Seafarers are on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, playing an essential role in maintaining the flow of vital goods, such as food, medicines and medical supplies. However, the crisis has led to difficult working conditions for seafarers, including uncertainties and difficulties about port access, re-supply, crew changeovers and repatriation.  In his Day of the Seafarer message, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim highlights the unique and essential work of seafarers. “Just like other key workers, seafarers are on the front line in this global fight. They deserve our thanks. But they also need and deserve quick and decisive humanitarian action from governments everywhere, not just during the pandemic, but at all times”, Mr. Lim said. The campaign encourages everyone to treat seafarers with the respect and dignity they deserve so that they can continue to provide their vital services to keep world trade moving.

In cognizance of this, there is another group that should also be acknowledged and recognised. These are the background players that are directly involved in moulding a landlubber into a seafarer. It is a process that requires passion, patience and hard work. Specifically, it is the educators, trainers and administrators that train and certify the competency of each and every seafarer. Recognising seafarers as key workers of the world would automatically elevate this group as essential workers. In Malaysia, the utmost authority as far as the training and certification of seafarer is the Marine Department of Malaysia (MARDEP). Its officials have been working diligently to ensure that Malaysian seafarers meet the required standards and that training centres complies with all the instituted measures, which also maintains Malaysia in IMO’s white list.

In Malaysia, the training centres are represented by Malaysian Maritime Education and Training Association (MyMET). It is an NGO representing all Malaysian Maritime Education and Training Providers. Established in 2014, its members are made up of almost all maritime education and training providers in Malaysia except universities i.e. Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UNIKL) are not officially a member but are invited as expert contributors. In 2019, MyMET was tasked with developing the Malaysian Maritime Education and Training Blueprint (METB). The objective of METB is to bolster the mechanism to develop and support Government efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s position in the Maritime domain.

The METB is undergoing final process of approval from the ministry and relevant agencies. Once it is approved, it will certainly enhance Malaysian seafarers in terms of quality and quantity. With Malaysia’s reliance on shipping for its economy, this measure will bode well to guarantee its well-being. Going full circle, seafarers are indeed the key workers of the world as demonstrated by the recent pandemic. It should also be noted that these seafarers are able to sail by the hands of the educators and administrators. On this perspective, UMT is the only higher learning institution approved by the government to produce executive seafarers through the Nautical Science and Maritime Transportation Program. UMT strives to produce quality graduates that are able to meet the needs of Malaysia’s shipping industry and has worked closely with MyMET, MARDEP and other stakeholders. On this day of seafarers, it is most appropriate to recognse seafarers as key workers and their educators as a crucial element to the economy and industry of Malaysia.

Capt. Dr.  Noor Apandi Osnin, Master F.G.; PhD. 

Senior Lecturer

Nautical Science and Maritime Transportation Program

Faculty of Marine Studies

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, MALAYSIA

[O] +609 668 3735; [M] +6019 217 9778

apandi@umt.edu.my

Dikeluarkan oleh:

Pejabat Komunikasi Korporat

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu