No Investment Lost Over Cabotage Policy Says Dr Wee In Debate With Guan Eng

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PETALING JAYA: The debate over the national cabotage policy kicked off at TV3’s studio at Sri Pentas, with Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong emphasising that no digital investment was lost as a result of the reimposition of the policy.

Dr Wee is currently squaring off against DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng at Sri Pentas and during the debate, he played a video of him speaking with NTT Ltd Japan vice president Yoshio Sato.

NTT Ltd Japan is the Japanese company involved in the Apricot Cable project and the MIST (Malaysia, India, Singapore, Thailand) project, which is a 8,000 subsea cable system that is due to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Dr Wee said it is absolutely baseless for the Opposition to claim that RM12bil to RM15bil has been lost as a result of the reimposition of the policy for cable repair works at sea beds.

“There is no big issue (about Malaysia’s cabotage policy), we have similar laws in Japan and Indonesia,” Sato was heard speaking.

Dr Wee then said, “So where is the logic on claims of RM12 to 15bil being lost.”

Lim then spoke subsequently, and made his case on why the cabotage policy by Dr Wee must be reversed.

The debate between Dr Wee and Lim took place at TV3's studio in Sri Pentas near Damansara. It was streamed live by Astro Awani and 8TV for TV viewers as well as for social media users on YouTube and Facebook.

On Sept 30, there was a heated exchange between them in Parliament after Lim asked Dr Wee whether the reimposition of the cabotage policy for submarine cable repair works had caused tech giants to skip Malaysia in plans to install undersea cables to boost Internet connectivity.

Dr Wee then issued the challenge to debate, to which Lim accepted.

Jabs were exchanged between the two leaders in the following weeks until Oct 24, when Lim finally agreed to the Nov 2 date proposed by Dr Wee for a debate.

Introduced in January 1980, the cabotage policy for cable repair works was revoked by the former Pakatan Harapan government in April 2019, which exempted vessels involved in submarine cable repair and maintenance work from having to apply for a domestic shipping licence.

The cabotage policy was reintroduced by Dr Wee on Nov 16, 2020.

At present, the national cabotage policy does not place a ban on foreign-flagged vessels from repairing undersea cables in Malaysian waters.

Foreign vessels are allowed to enter Malaysian waters and only need to apply for an electronic domestic licence (eDSL), which takes one to three days, before approval. - Star

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