New Rules To Control Ship To Ship Oil Transfers Out This Month

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 Foreign minister Mohamed Hasan said the issue was 'a thorn in our side' because Malaysia was often accused of allowing illegal oil transfers to take place in Malaysian waters.
Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said the new regulation, which is being finalised, would allow any vessel found conducting unauthorised oil transfers to be detained. (Unsplash pic)PETALING JAYA: A new regulation aimed at tightening enforcement against illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers in Malaysian waters is expected to come into force by the end of this month, said foreign minister Mohamad Hasan
He stated that the move reflects Malaysia’s commitment as a coastal nation to safeguard its maritime sovereignty and prevent the country’s image from being tarnished, Bernama reported.
“This ship-to-ship issue has become a thorn in our side because we are often accused of practising or allowing illegal oil transfers to take place in our waters. This is our territory, and we will guard and control it more strictly,” he said at a press conference at the close of the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting.
Ship-to-ship transfers of oil have been highlighted by the United States as a means of evading its sanctions on Iran. In February, a Labuan-based company was named by the US Treasury in a list of additional sanctions on what it called “Iran’s shadow fleet”.
Mohamad said the new regulation, which is being finalised, would allow any vessel found conducting unauthorised oil transfer to be detained.
Previously, when we asked for coordinates, they would provide them but it turned out the activity wasn’t within our territory. This time, we will not let it slide. If we catch them, we will detain the vessel. We no longer want to be accused of being a country that facilitates such activities,” he said.
He added that this stricter enforcement will send a clear signal that Malaysia is serious about addressing the issue, even if some may be displeased with the move.
“We are going ahead with this in July. Many may be unhappy, but this is about protecting our national sovereignty,” he stressed. - FMT

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