Ex-chief judge says country’s maritime laws outdated

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Many maritime laws practised in Malaysia are outdated, said former Chief Justice Zaki Azmi today, when urging the Government and lawmakers to carry out urgent changes so a more conducive maritime environment can be created.

“For instance, the Bills of Lading Act 1855 has long been outdated yet we are still using it. Apart from that, several definitions pertaining to criminal activities in the deep sea, need updating.

“The updated maritime laws we have now focuses more on marine protection and safety in sea travel, but hardly touches on the commercial aspect,” he told reporters after launching the Internal Malaysian Society of Maritime Law (IMSML) here today.

Another aspect that needs attention, he added, was the uniformity of maritime laws in Peninsular Malaysia as well as in Sabah and Sarawak.

He cited for instance, the Peninsula’s continued usage of the 1976 version of the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Times (LLMC), while the Borneo states used the 1957 version of it.

According to Zaki, a draft on the proposed amendments has been sent to the Attorney-General’s office, as well as the Transport Ministry.

He said the enhanced maritime laws will draw in investors and reduce insurance rates for maritime and shipping industries.

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