The younger generation, especially Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate holders, have been encouraged to venture into the maritime industry as it promises lucrative income, as well as better career prospects.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the demand for mariners or seafarers was increasing due to the world’s rapid economic growth where the shipping industry provided the pulse in transporting goods worldwide.

“Seafarers are not just comprised of sailors, they also include captains, engineers and technicians working on board.

“Some of the leading international shipping companies have expressed their interest in employing seafarers from Malaysia due to fluency in English,” he told a news conference after launching the Day of Seafarers 2019 here today.

Also present was Marine Department director-general Baharin Abdul Hamid.

Loke said parents needed to erase negative perceptions of the maritime industry and encourage their children to venture into the field.

“We have about 35 higher learning institutions that offer courses in the shipping industry and this opportunity needs to be fully utilised,” he said.

Loke added that the government wanted to see more collaborations between local higher learning institutions and international institutions such as the International Maritime Law Institute and World Maritime University.

“Last week, I visited the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden, which offers post-graduate courses and discussed with them to work with local institutions for short-term courses here.

“We hope more collaborations can be carried out frequently as there many specialisations that can be undertaken, not just the training to produce crew members but also in areas such as insurance, law and maritime marketing that are more specific and require certain skills,” he said.

- Bernama