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THURSDAY | MAY 22, 2025

Maritime security crucial in ensuring economic prosperity

Ű BY JOHN GILBERT sunbiz@thesundaily.com

LANGKAWI: Malaysia will enhance interagency coordination, expand maritime domain awareness and foster greater synergies among government institutions, private stakeholders and regional partners to address the critical importance of sustainable marine resource management. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Malaysia is a maritime nation, positioned at the crossroads of major sea trade routes, and responsible for safeguarding the security, sustain ability and prosperity of the country’s maritime domain. “Maritime trade remains the lifeblood of our economy, with over 90% of our trade being conducted via sea routes. “Whether through offshore re newable energy projects, sustainable fisheries or major discoveries in marine biotechnology, our efforts focus on securing long-term pros perity while protecting the health of our seas,” he told delegates when officiating the Malaysia Maritime Conference 2025 at the ongoing 17th Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima 2025). Beyond trade, Khaled said, Malaysian waters hold vast untapped potential, and unlocking it requires economic foresight, robust gover nance, strategic policymaking and a steadfast commitment to maritime security. “While we greatly benefit from our maritime nation status, this privilege comes with significant challenges and responsibilities.” Khaled said rising maritime traffic, overlapping territorial claims, marine pollution and climate change demand more than just a strategy. Facing these challenges requires a forward-thinking approach to ensure long-term resilience and adaptability in the country’s maritime gover

o Malaysia will streamline law enforcement, improve interagency coordination and harness advanced technologies to ensure control over its waters and sea routes, says defence minister

mental priorities.” Khaled said Malaysia will also reinforce its legal framework to combat illegal fishing, marine pollution and foreign encroachments into the country’s waters. By strengthening enforcement mecha nisms, Malaysia will ensure account ability and deter illicit maritime activities. Touching on maritime security, Khaled said true economic pros perity cannot be achieved without security at sea. He said both traditional and non traditional threats, including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, piracy, smuggling and marine pollu tion, continue to challenge Malaysia’s sovereignty. Disruptions in supply chains, shifting geopolitics and emerging security threats further emphasise the need for a strong and coordinated maritime defence posture. “Malaysia will continue to en hance its naval and maritime enforcement capabilities to protect our national interests. In addition, we must keep up with the rise of emerging and disruptive technolo gies that can optimise our ability to

nance, he added. “Thus, our approach to maritime affairs must be guided by a vision that prioritises shared prosperity for all Malaysians, safe international trade routes and overall regional peace and stability. While our maritime gover nance structure is comprehensive, we must also strive for greater coherence and efficiency to face the ever-evolving challenges.” Currently, Khaled said, Malaysia enforces over 15 maritime-related acts and orders, with responsibilities shared among more than 30 agencies and multiple ministries. He said overlapping jurisdictions, inefficiencies, and resource con straints must be urgently addressed. “Moving forward, the government is firmly committed to establishing an integrated maritime governance. This includes streamlining maritime law enforcement to eliminate redundancies and improve inter agency coordination, enhancing digitalisation and data sharing to bolster maritime domain awareness through real-time intelligence and surveillance, and formulate a national maritime policy to align economic security and environ

Khaled attending the Malaysia Maritime Conference 2025 in conjunction with Lima 2025 at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN

“In doing so, we must also pay close attention to the rise of emerging technologies such as the use of artificial intelligence for data analysis and maritime threat monitoring, the importance of underwater cable network within the regional waters, which is one of the issues raised during the last Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Retreat, and, finally, undersea research and exploration, such as undersea features naming activities. “All these issues must not be ignored while discussing the mari time agenda,” Khaled said.

address maritime concerns,” Khaled said. To improve Malaysia’s maritime security, the government will boost spending on advanced surveillance technologies, such as using auto nomous unmanned vehicles, sharing intelligence, and conducting joint naval exercises with reliable inter national partners to be prepared for new threats. “The path towards maritime prosperity may be challenging, but we must navigate it together with determination and unity.

DNeX, Türkiye’s Havelsan tap each other’s strengths LANGKAWI: Dagang NeXchange Bhd (DNeX) is forming a strategic partnership with Turkish Armed Forces Foundation’s Havelsan Hava Elektronik Sanayi, a company that provides high-technology, software intensive products, solutions and services for both domestic and international markets. Together, the companies will develop and market advanced digital solutions for Malaysia’s and Türkiye’s public and private sectors by leveraging each other’s key strengths. ensure adaptability within Malaysia’s enter prises and organisations. The heads of agreement were signed by DNeX non-independent non-executive chairman Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir and Havelsan CEO Dr Mehmet Akif Nacar at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (Lima 2025). The signing ceremony was attended by Defence Industry Agency of Türkiye president Prof Dr Haluk Görgün and Turkish ambassador to Malaysia Emir Salim Yuksel. organisations, helping them improve operational efficiency and adopt data-driven decision-making strategies. It fits perfectly with our strategy to expand our presence in sectors where security, reliability, and performance are crucial. “Additionally, we can partner with a very strong and trusted entity to further develop and market our trade facilitation services to Türkiye and the surrounding region,” he said. Mehmet said Havelsan is thrilled to introduce advanced technological expertise and global experience to Malaysia through the partnership with DNeX.

Malaysia Aviation Group achieves anti-bribery management certification PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) has officially become the first airline group in Malaysia to achieve the ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management System certification, reinforcing its commitment to zero tolerance for bribery, fraud and corruption within the organisation. This milestone marks the fulfilment of a key commitment under MAG’s environmental, social and governance agenda. MAG managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said,“An effective anti-bribery system must be driven from the top. This certification is not just a formality, it is a firm declaration of our zero-tolerance stance against bribery, fraud and corruption. ISO 37001 reinforces the controls we have built into every part of our operations, from procurement and policymaking to how we engage with partners be it in Malaysia or our international offices. This certification clearly signals our commitment to conducting business with the highest standards of integrity and our accountability in addressing any instances of non-compliance promptly. “Trust and governance are not optional – they are the foundation of a sustainable aviation business, and this milestone reaffirms our leadership in that space.”

The partnership will significantly boost DNeX’s digital capabilities by providing access to top-tier technologies, especially in critical areas such as mission-critical systems, data analytics, cybersecurity and enterprise digital platforms. It positions DNeX as a leader in Malaysia’s digital transformation initiatives, particularly in high-security sectors. At the same time, Havelsan can leverage DNeX’s trade facilitation solutions and its in house developed artificial intelligence solutions that can be marketed to Türkiye’s public and private sectors. The parties will jointly develop and market Havelsan’s Kovan enterprise resource planning solutions, including joint business process re-engineering of the product to

Havelsan, a leading software and systems company under the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, offers cutting-edge global solutions in the defence and IT industries. With a wide array of services, it excels in providing advanced technology for defence, simulation and training systems, autonomous unmanned systems, information and commu nication technologies and cybersecurity. DNeX Group CEO Faizal Sham Abu Mansor said the alliance is a crucial advancement in enhancing the company’s role as a provider of digital solutions for Malaysia’s public and private sectors while bringing DNeX’s technical know-how to Türkiye. “This partnership enables us to bring cutting-edge IT capabilities to Malaysian

“This collaboration underscores our dedication to supporting digital trans formation in key sectors. We are confident that our innovative solutions will signi ficantly enhance Malaysia’s digital eco system, strengthening economic and technological bonds between our countries,” he added. The partnership also aligns with DNeX’s goal

to become a top provider of state-of-the-art solutions for Malaysia’s digital transform ation, enhancing the country’s digital ecosystem with ad vanced technologies. - by JOHN GILBERT

See also page 14