NILAI, Feb 10 — The Transport Ministry (MOT) today recommended that all boats weighing less than 15 tonnes must be installed with Automated Identification System (AIS) to improve the safety of water transport.
Its Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the AIS installation would allow authorities to monitor the movement of boats at sea.
“The Cabinet has directed my ministry to come up with some guidelines especially on safety and enforcement to improve the wellbeing of passengers who use public transport following the twin boat tragedy in Sabah.
“One of the suggestions is to implement the AIS and navigation system so that we can get to them immediately when a distress call is made. This will assist us in locating the boat and sending a team to save the passengers,” he told reporters here, today.
He was commenting regarding the two boats’ tragedy in Sabah that killed 13 people recently.
He also said that MOT would also propose to the Cabinet that owners of passenger boats must register with the Marine Department for more effective enforcement.
“As for now, only owners of larger boats and ferries were required to install the AIS while boats below 15 tonnes come under the jurisdiction of their respective state.
“We are now engaging with the respective state authorities on how to implement this before tabling the recommendation to the Cabinet,” he said. — Bernama
