Sutera Harbour Marina Meets With Marine Department Malaysia

Sutera Harbour Marina had a meeting yesterday with Jabatan Laut Marine Department Malaysia. The meeting was to advise Commercial Operators and Tourists groups about the current regulation that they have to follow.

Jabatan Laut will no longer tolerate the bending of rules and overloading of ferries carrying passengers.

The main reference documents are MSO 1960 which effects merchant vessels of less than 500 GRT and the section3 of 1953 port rules.

Every boat Captain need to hold a masters domestic trade certificate.
only two boat Captains are allowed per vessel.

All boats need to be registered and the original document displayed on the vessel the vessel registration number must also be clearly displayed
ferries are not to operate outside the limits laid down on their certificate.
Children over the age of 12 months are counted as a passenger
All vessels carrying more than 12 passengers to carry required safety equipment.

Penalties/Fines for non compliance to be paid by boat captain and Owner RM 1,000 per incident
Faded or missing registration number
Original registration document not displayed
Operating outside trade limits
Missing safety Equipment
Overloading boat.
Carrying excess passenger RM 350 per passenger.

Owners of Private vessels registered in Malaysia are required to have a seaman's crew card.


The Tourist guides association also advised that official guides are required by groups on the islands under the Tourism Act of 1992. companies will be fined RM7,000 if no guide is present and if an unregistered guide is used the fine will be RM20,000.

Sutera Harbour Marina staff will be checking an reporting on a vessels returning from the Islands with excess passengers.

Jabatan Laut Marine Department Malaysia will also be carrying out spot checks.




David Ogden
Yacht Watch Service