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Contributed by Sitpah Selvaratnam

We have finally the Conference photos posted for your leisurely viewing. To most delegates who were drawn to the Conference by the call for reform, March 8 - 10, 2007 developed as a promise of action.

The run-up to the Conference met with the typical challenges seen in almost all conferences; will there be sufficient delegates? will we break even? will the Deputy Prime Minister be drawn away by affairs of the state from opening the Conference?

To our greatest relief, registrations began to flood-in a month before the Conference, to the point of having to close registration several days before the Conference, when we touched 337 in numbers; surpassing our targeted participation of 300. Although the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister was away in China, he graciously arranged for the Honourable Minister of Transport to read his Keynote Address; a Keynote that inspires hope of further enhancement of maritime development in Malaysia.

The Attorney General's consistent support in the months leading to the Conference, and at the Conference proper; by personally delivering the Welcome Address side-by-side with the then President of the Malaysian Bar, Mr. Yeo Yang Poh; in presenting the opening paper of the Conference on Malaysia's approach to Maritime International Conventions, and again in gracing the Conference Dinner with his presence despite an extremely tight schedule; is reflective of the strengthening ties between the Bar and Chambers, and of the Attorney General's intent to afford maritime matters significant time and space. The Attorney General's call on the opening morning for the setting-up of a Committee comprising all stakeholders, to meet monthly if necessary, to brainstorm issues for reform, was embraced whole heartedly.

The commitment of the regulators to aid reform was obvious from their unrestrained participation as panelists, and presence in full force from all parts of the country.

This set the tone and spirit that prevailed the Conference - a sense of co-operation for mutual good, a common desire to help make a change, and most importantly, with change appearing to be within reach.

It was magnificent to see the Conference hall remaining filled from Thursday through to Saturday; defying the common trend to dilute attendance to half or less by day 2; surviving past Friday afternoon and Saturday morning!

To many, the Conference revealed concerns of other sectors of the industry which they would ordinarily not have encountered or been conscious of. It was good to see some of the loops in the chain comfortably link, and the common goal naturally unfold - Malaysian shippers/consumers want more local shipowners to service the growing international trade within Malaysia - Malaysian Shipowners need state-of-the-art local shipyards with capacity to undertake construction and repair of more local ships - Malaysian Shipyards want local shipowners to place orders with them to give them reason to invest in state-of-the-art equipment and shipyard facilities - the case for a commercially viable increase in local tonnage for the mutual benefit of shippers, shipyards and shipowners appears to be made. And the laws? To straddle a balance between shippers and shipowners' interests, the Hague-Visby Rules and the 1976 Limitation of Liability need to be introduced. An easing of shipowning regulations and user-friendly ship-registration system, with savvy ship-financiers, seem to be the call.

Admittedly, particular topics were at times not developed as fully as many would have desired. Therein lies the balance that the organizing committee tried to achieve, something for every sector - with the dominant aim of collecting all sectors of the industry at one forum. Now that the appetite has been whet, more work is to be done to delve into details of each area that has been identified for reform. Seminars, working groups, publications; whatever it takes to keep the momentum going - that would appear to be the task of the Shipping & Admiralty Committee of 2007/08 and beyond, of the Bar Council; to be made possible and successful only with the complete co-operation and aid of the Attorney General's Chambers, the Regulators and the industry.

Sitpah Selvaratnam
Deputy Chair
Shipping & Admiralty Committee

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