Littoral states pledge to keep Malacca Straits safe for shipping

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) free, open and safe for international shipping, as concerns over the safety of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz persist.

IMAGE: Dense rows of vessels on the waters of Singapore. Getty Images

The three littoral states stressed that ensuring safe navigation and protecting the marine environment in the SOMS is a shared responsibility of user states, international organisations, the maritime industry and other stakeholders.

"More than 100,000 vessels transit the Straits of Malacca and Singapore annually, carrying almost a quarter of global seaborne trade," Singapore's transport minister Jeffrey Siow said.

Representatives from the three countries, who met earlier this week in Singapore, also discussed the safe adoption of new technologies and alternative fuels in the SOMS, alongside a review of ongoing technical projects aimed at strengthening navigational safety.

By Tuhin Roy

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