Seafarer Safety in West Asia: Singapore’s Priority

Singapore, Apr 21 (PTI) Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Tuesday assured the global maritime industry that the safety and well-being of seafarers caught in the West Asia conflict are at the "top of our mind," and authorities are working hard to ensure their safe return.

Regarding Singapore's decision not to negotiate with any parties on the right for seafarers to pass the Strait of Hormuz, Gan said it was important for Singapore to "stay on course".

"Sometimes you have to make a hard decision that this is a matter of principle. We cannot negotiate something that is a matter of right," he said during a fireside chat as part of the Singapore Maritime Week.

He was answering questions from the audience from the maritime industry about the welfare and evacuation plans for seafarers trapped in the Strait of Hormuz.

In his response, Gan said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was working "very hard" to maintain contact with the ship owners and operators to ensure the "safety and security of our seafarers on board our ships".

"At the same time, we will be working very closely with the ports along the coast to render support and assistance where necessary," the Channel News Asia quoted Gan as saying.

Responding to a question about Singapore's "diplomatic initiatives" to free marine vessels stuck in West Asia amid the conflict, Gan reiterated the city-state's stance of not negotiating on the right of passage.


"We cannot negotiate with Iran because the right of transit passage is a matter of right," he said.

Should Singapore negotiate and reach "some agreement," it would mean there would be conditions that Singapore must comply with to have that safe passage.

"And it is not conditional. The right is protected under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), and therefore, we cannot possibly enter into a negotiation," said Gan.

"I hope I made that clear because we are very concerned about the safety and also the cargo that we do want to try to get them out and continue to ensure safe passage through the Straits of Hormuz, but it is important for us to continue to uphold the principle that it is a matter of right," he said.

"It is not negotiable," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Gan informed industry stakeholders that autonomous vehicles such as harbour craft are already being explored.

"(There) is a critical shortage of such manpower in Singapore, and I'm sure around the world too. So, I think autonomous ships and autonomous vehicles in the water are something we will be very keen about, and we are actively looking at it," he said.

"I believe our agencies are doing research and development in that regard, and watch this space, we may be able to announce some of these experiments in time to come."