Fostering seafarers’ development to achieve the Malaysian Shipping Master Plan goal

ABSTRACT In the pursuit of enhancing the stewardship and sustainability of the maritime industry, seafarers play an increasingly pivotal role. Malaysian seafarers make a substantial contribution to the economic development through their involvement in maritime transportation and their ability to ensure the timely operation of vessels. The assessment of the extent to which the Malaysian Shipping Master Plan (MSMP) has been implemented and its effectiveness in promoting the growth of domestic seafarers reveals a scarcity of appropriate progress. The primary objective of the study is to analyse the impediments to career progression faced by Malaysian seafarers and to provide viable alternatives which coincide with the MSMP’s objectives of fostering career opportunities and professional growth for Malaysian seafarers. A qualitative research approach was employed to achieve the study’s objectives, drawing on expert opinions and secondary data sources. According to the research findings, the government’s implementation of the MSMP was inadequate. Seafarers face significant challenges in advancing their professions, owing primarily to a lack of training opportunities and inadequate government support. This study provides recommendations aimed at enhancing and supporting the development of seafaring careers in order to meet the needs of the maritime industry, which is reliant on seafarers’ competence and proficiency.


Introduction
Malaysia is a maritime country with an extensive coast, vast marine Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), and continental shelf in the South China Sea and Sulu Sea, and it partially controls the key chokepoints of the Malacca Strait and the Johor Strait.In fact, the maritime industry remained an important pillar of Malaysia's economy after the agriculture sector.According to the Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA), a promising prospect for Malaysia to focus on is "port, shipping, and marine transport," which form the maritime industry.Menhat et al. (2021) asserted that Malaysia relies significantly on its maritime resources to promote its trading activities, hence generating substantial economic prospects for the inhabitants residing along its coastlines.The maritime industry in Malaysia generates a significant amount of revenue for the country and contributes about 40 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).More than 90 percent of Malaysia's exports are by sea, therefore, the maritime industry is a vital pillar of Malaysia's national economy and acts as a potential source of vibrant employment and career opportunities (Mohd Zaideen et al., 2019).
Shipping has grown into Malaysia's most important mode of transportation, accounting for more than 90% of the country's freight import and fare volumes (Soon & Lam, 2013).Hence, seafarers play an important part in the growth of the country's economy in globalised maritime transportation.Malaysian seafarers have access to 67 percent (domestic trade) and 37 percent (specialized trade) of the shipping fleet, which is owned and operated by Malaysians, respectively, while the remaining 33 percent and 63 percent are foreign-flagged vessels, offering career opportunities to Malaysian seafarers (Ministry of Transport, 2022).Shipping is one of the most perilous industries on the continent, and seafarer is considered a high-risk profession owing to the unpredictability on board, which can result in injury, illness, or even death (Lokman Husain et al., 1995).Shipping companies have stated that seafarers play an important part in defining their organization's reliability and competency, as well as vessel timeliness in terms of operation.Seafarers perform numerous duties with corresponding workloads, responsibilities, and obligations, encompassing positions such as officers, engineers, ratings, oilers, and chiefs, onboard passenger vessels, including cruise liners (Riyanto et al., 2023).However, despite the importance of the maritime industry, there is a shortage of local seafarers in Malaysia.For instance, there is almost a 26% shortage of local seafarers for Malaysian vessels (Chuah et al., 2021).The situation of a shortage of seafarers has not only happened in Malaysia but also globally.
A serious shortage in the supply of seafarers was reported by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), one of the largest international organisations of ship owners in the world (2016).From a shipping company's view, the longer a seafarer is with the maritime industry, the more experience they will have in both the industry and company-specific approach.An experienced seafarer is able to train and mentor others.Not everybody can simply become a seafarer without obtaining a specific course and having a certain amount of accumulated sea time.Because of this, seafarers are a very rare profession, with some estimating that an officer's career at sea to last from 10 to 15 years (Albert et al., 2016).After the term, a trained officer seems to leave maritime duty and spend time on shore.The younger generations do not appear to be attracted to the sea in the same way that young people were prior to the maritime transportation industry's decision to keep them as seagoing officers.
Significantly increased freight loads must be handled securely and efficiently between origin and destination, necessitating the hiring of competent seafarers.Seafarers are the lifeline of the worldwide shipping sector.Every seafarer is expected to maintain a high level of expertise in order to ensure the ship's safety at all times.Unlike most other careers, seafaring requires individuals to leave home and labour at sea for extended periods of time, away from regular living.Nonetheless, seafarers are seen as a neglected vocation, forgotten by the rest of the globe and even by their own nations.Their work is typically done behind closed doors.Many individuals, however, are clueless about the importance of seafarers, resulting in seafarers not receiving the essential assistance.The COVID-19 outbreak stresses the plight of seafarers even more.We should look around and see who is assisting our seafarers.And who is genuinely helpful in effecting positive change in their career?
The dilemma of how far MSMP has been implemented to support the local seafarers' development The present status indicates that it has fallen short of the mark.The COVID-19 pandemic in year 2020 has caused devastation to the world economy, wreaking disaster on all towns and governments.The outbreak put a significant strain on global maritime industry.Onakpojeruo et al. (2023) contended that the aforementioned circumstances primarily affected individuals' mental well-being, as their established routines were largely disrupted, trip arrangements were nullified, and apprehension regarding potential job loss owing to prevailing uncertainty emerged.Government should provide help to seafarers aboard vessels by providing immunisation, medical services, and protective equipment, as well as assisting with their repatriation as a result of pandemic-curbing regulations (Philip, 2021).Port congestion contributing to capacity and efficiency worsened (Jeevan et al., 2020), container crises, job losses, violations of local seafarers' rights, operational inefficiencies, and high shipping prices affected the maritime industry during COVID-19 outbreak.Furthermore, the ministries and agencies with jurisdiction's ability to manage, organise, and enforce their assigned responsibilities was insufficient to continue executing the MSMP.Following that, the shipping community's interest in the MSMP's implementation began to diminish.A coordinated approach must be developed in order to revitalise the shipping business.
The purpose of this research is to discover the challenges that Malaysian seafarers encounter in their career development, and how the MSMP can assist Malaysian seafarers in securing jobs and growing their careers.This research is vital for Malaysian seafarers to be prepared to update their knowledge and skills, as well as to assist shipowners understand the value of seafarer development for work performance.Job performance analysis is widely regarded by human resource experts and consultants as a crucial technique that underpins various tasks within the field of human resources, including employment and performance review (Bachari-Lafteh & Harati-Mokhtari, 2021).The findings of this study make a significant contribution to future research, particularly in light of the MSMP's capacity to uphold Malaysia's maritime industry as a key contributor to the nation's values.The recommendations that are put forward in this study may enhance and strengthen the shipping sector, consequently enabling more efficient and sustainable global trade as well as promoting greater recognition of the seafarers who contribute to global commerce.

Malaysian seafarers
A seafarer is an important asset to support the backbone of the maritime industry in Malaysia.The Malaysian maritime industry needs more seafarers to ensure an effective and focused industry (Md Hanafiah et al., 2021).As much as the maritime industry need management specialists, there is an immediate need for personnel who sail the seas.Malaysia's IMO spokesperson, Captain Nazri Abu Hassan, estimated that there are 1.6 million seafarers globally, 700,000 of whom are officers and 800,000 of them are ratings (non-officers).There are now 3,000 local officers sailing Malaysian ships, however there is a continuing demand for 5,000 more officers to cover vacancies (Sani, 2017).

Issues and challenges to seafarers' development
Seafarers refer to any individual working or engaged in any capacity on board a seagoing ship travelling the foreign seas, other than a government ship utilised for military or non-commercial purposes.Working as a seafarer aboard a ship is a demanding job that exposes one to a myriad of occupational health risks (An et al., 2020).In terms of physical and mental tiredness, seafaring is regarded as a very demanding and high-risk career.Indeed, seafarers are vulnerable to a wide range of psychosocial and physical stressors, including high leadership responsibilities (time pressure and decision-related pressure, under-qualified subordinate crew members), separation from family, loneliness, cross-cultural communication, fatigue and sleep deprivation, physical need, recreation scarcity, workplace noise, ship movement, vibration, and heat (Lucas et al., 2021;Oldenburg et al., 2010).
Seafaring has been portrayed as a profession that is isolated from human interaction owing to limited direct contact with home, occasional and limited shore leave, low manpower scales, and single-person tasking.Unlike employees in land-based jobs, seafarers are restrained from their normal activities.The biggest obstacle to the seafaring profession is being away from family and loved ones (Caesar et al., 2015).The attrition of seafarers is high for reasons such as boredom at sea, single-task work environment, emotional and work-related stress, and lack of family time (Mohd Suki et al., 2020;Yuen et al., 2018).This startling breakthrough has sparked a slew of worldwide initiatives, like "Go to Sea" and "Day of the Seafarer," which push governments to promote seafaring and solve concerns with employment and living conditions aboard ships (IMO, 2018).
Technical competency, which is obtained via training, education, and experience, and effort and dedication, which is largely dictated by the social and economic conditions of employment, are the two primary characteristics of seafarer performance.Tang (2022) research findings indicate that the financial crisis, in conjunction with the increased training capacity, resulted in a significant issue of oversupply.This issue is marked by a scarcity of employment prospects, diminished earnings, and sluggish advancement opportunities for entry-level crew members.Fresh entrants into the maritime profession who are not sponsored by ship-owning entities have difficulty securing berths to complete their necessary 12month on-board training after completing their two years of college or academy instruction.They are unable to advance in their careers and take their first CoC examinations without these possibilities.According to Tsamourgelis (2009), the most relevant variables in seafarer recruiting were loyalty, pay, seafarer cooperation, efficiency, and greater education and training.Furthermore, shipowners are racing to decrease operating expenses, and current technological advancements allow for additional crew size reductions.Although shipping businesses can benefit from reducing labour costs in this manner, there are certain drawbacks.Seafarers work extremely long hours due to the minimal minimum number of crew members on board the vessels, which can induce weariness and stress.To retain seafarers and improve their performance, ship owners and operators should consider both environmental motivation and hygienic factors while developing a comprehensive seafarers' recruiting management system (Tsai & Liou, 2017) and high level of satisfaction shows a good job as seafarers are among the types of occupations most at risk for stress, which is known to have an influence on mental health (McVeigh et al., 2019).However, among other factors, the scarcity of Malaysians choosing seafaring as a career is critical.
Fast turnarounds at seaports, combined with an abundance of work for seafarers, have created a climate in which shore leave appears to be impossible.If they are satisfied with their task, the seafarer will have a better work attitude and may perform better.The seafarers' development programme has met some of its goals and objectives, despite occasional financial issues caused by budget delays or late financing of the programme, which were determined to be related to the bureaucratic nature of government operations.Furthermore, there are limits and a lack of strong government and administrative assistance.Employing foreign seafarers will be less expensive for shipping companies that do so.While pay is a significant consideration for local seafarers is not sufficient to keep them in a position.
The government so far has provided a few incentives to local shipping companies, and they are unable to provide enough job vacancies for Malaysian seafarers.The Malaysian government has also introduced a deduction for the initial cost connected with ship registration; nonetheless, this is inadequate to promote ship registration.Meanwhile, a tax exemption is granted in Malaysia under the Income Tax Act 1967 for revenues earned from shipping activities, but does not apply to tugs, barges, supply vessels, and crew boats.As ship owners look for qualified seafarers in places where there is little development and low pay, there appears to be a major shortage of seafarers in the companies.To increase their job alternatives in the global labour market, seafarers must establish a "portfolio career," in which they want to maintain their work across numerous organisations and industries (Baum-Talmor, 2021).A competitive and sustainable maritime sector is in Malaysia's long-term interests and critical to the country's growth.However, among other things, the insufficient number of Malaysians pursuing seafaring as a career is crucial (Osnin, 2004).

Malaysia shipping master plan (MSMP)
The MSMP 2017-2022 was introduced four years ago.It was then a much-needed formula developed to revitalise the local maritime industry, allowing it to compete in regional and global supply chain for Malaysia's competitiveness in this era of globalisation (Jeevan et al., 2022).This MSMP, in conjunction with Malaysia's participation in national, regional, and international maritime initiatives and organisations such as the International Maritime Organization, is a critical component in keeping Malaysia's maritime industry at the forefront of contributing to the nation's interests and promoting our engagement with the international community.Thus, the maritime industry must keep working in a long-term and efficient way to make sure that Malaysia's trade and economic foundations are strong, competitive, and dynamic.
The MSM has five focus areas, each with its own target (Figure 1) and a five-year implementation plan, notably promoting Malaysian ship employment, promoting Malaysian seafarers and maritime human resources employment, facilitating access to capital and financing, enhancing Malaysia's attractiveness to maritime businesses, and promoting innovation in and sustainable growth of maritime ancillary services.
The governance and monitoring mechanism responsible for overseeing the target areas will be under the jurisdiction of the Malaysian Ministry of Transport, with support from the Malaysian Maritime Institute (Mohd Zaideen, 2021).The proposal entails the reestablishment of a National Shipping Council, the revision of its Terms of Reference, the development of a 5-year work plan, the establishment of a Maritime Transport Database, and the implementation of benchmarking and review procedures.The MSMP framework encapsulates the essential elements required for the success and growth of Malaysian shipping in both international and domestic markets, as well as within the regional context.The plan places considerable importance on developing robust collaboration between the government and business, alongside implementing fiscal policies and incentives that are essential for facilitating the industry's resilience during the crisis, subsequent recovery, and ultimate transformation into a fully developed maritime nation (Malaysia Shipowners ' Association, 2015).The MSMP drew attention to the matter of Malaysia's dependence on foreign seafarers, highlighting the persistent high presence of about 17,000 foreign seafarers on Malaysian vessels.The issuance of 6,000 Certificates of Recognition annually by the Marine Department exerts a substantial influence on the local economy and employment prospects.In the year 2018, a strategy was introduced with the objective of reducing dependence on foreign seafarers, aiming to rejuvenate the maritime industry and bolster the economic stability of Malaysia.The Malaysian government has encountered a significant challenge in reconciling the divergent interests of maritime industry and indigenous seafarers, while striving to identify an optimal solution that safeguards Malaysia's development endeavours.The necessary maritime stakeholders, including shipowners, seafarers' groups, and other nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), should demonstrate strong dedication and align their interests with relevant government authorities in order to offer comprehensive and cohesive guidance for the career advancement of seafarers as depicted in Figure 2.

Materials and methods
The study successfully accomplished its aims by employing a qualitative research methodology that relied on expert opinions and secondary data sources.The authors employed a purposive sample technique to collect expert opinions during an interview session.In contrast to alternative research methodologies, expert interviews offer a more comprehensive comprehension of the strategies employed in establishing a profession in seafaring.An expert interview refers to a structured and focused one-on-one interview conducted with an individual who possesses specialised knowledge and expertise in a certain subject area.Beforehand, the writers created an interview procedure and afterwards compiled a list of probable factors.The authors formulated the research questions by drawing upon their prior knowledge and the material gathered from the literature study pertaining to the topic.

RQ1: Status of MSMP RQ2: Challenges of local seafarers RQ3: Measures towards a sustainable development of seafarers
Table 1 displays the demographic characteristics of each of the respondents.Data collection took place from October to December 2022.The interviews were done using open-ended questions and were recorded in audio format.The data was later transcribed verbatim, a process that required over 10 hours to complete, and subsequently subjected to further evaluation.Codes are prepared in advance before conducting analysis on the textual source.Moreover, during the process of transcribing interviews, it is conceivable that essential information could be excluded as a result of the existence of multiple verbal expressions conveying the same meaning.Following the process of coding, the collected data underwent thematic analysis as part of the present study.Thematic analysis is a method employed to identify and uncover recurring patterns or themes within qualitative data.This approach is versatile and may be utilised across a diverse range of analytical contexts (Braun & Clarke, 2006;Vaismoradi et al., 2013).The primary objective of conducting a thematic analysis is to discern and delineate themes, which are significant or pertinent variables within the dataset, and subsequently employ these themes to investigate the research question or articulate a viewpoint on a particular subject matter.The initial step in conducting thematic analysis involves mitigating biases and adopting a comprehensive perspective on the data.This is achieved by devising an exploratory approach that encompasses familiarising oneself with the data, creating coded data, and subsequently identifying and refining prevalent patterns or themes.These themes or categories are then employed to organise the data.

Results and discussion
The most frequently utilised codes within the text segments were subsequently subjected to manual translation and analysis within Microsoft Excel spreadsheets in order to determine their respective percentage weights.

Status of MSMP
The concerns expressed by the respondents on the implementation status of MSMP and the interpretation of their views were discussed, as shown in Table 2.The table illustrates the way in which the respondent's statements were comprehended and classified into three unique themes: "not fully implemented" (50%), "infancy" (33%), and "improperly implied" (17%).The findings indicate a consensus among experts that the government's implementation of MSMP is inadequate.
The MSMP experienced a setback during the fiveyear period due to the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.This led to a loss of attention towards formulating appropriate government and industry responses to address the downturn in the shipping sector resulting from the pandemic.Consequently, the MSMP failed to prioritise the endorsement of activities that would effectively enhance the resilience and competitiveness of the shipping sector.The nation is currently experiencing a state of lockdown, which is the third instance of such measures implemented since the beginning of the previous year, in response to its most formidable crisis encountered thus far.In order to identify the underlying cause and implement appropriate measures, as well as pursue proactive measures to achieve the objective.
During this particular time frame, the logistics sector in Malaysia has encountered disruptions of an unparalleled magnitude and intensity.Maritime transportation encompasses a broader scope than the mere presence of vessels and the provision of maritime services.The maritime industry at the local level has encountered significant challenges due to port congestion, a container crisis, and escalating freight expenses.The shipping sector in Malaysia derives advantages from, and reciprocally contributes to, several constituents of the maritime transportation network.Every individual element has a significant role in enhancing the effectiveness and competitiveness of the maritime industry in Malaysia.

Challenges of local seafarers
There are five themes (Table 3) that were derived prior to the challenges of local seafarers, namely: "lack of proper training" (100 percent), "difficulty in finding employment on board ships" (16.7 percent), "lack of motivation" (50 percent), "socio-economic conditions" (16.7 percent), and "lack of support from the government" (100 percent).Consensus among the respondents was reached regarding the principal challenges faced by seafarers, which include inadequate training and insufficient support from governmental entities.The government and its agencies should conduct periodic reviews of national policies, legal standards, and other measures pertaining to the management of seafarers.These reviews should involve consultations with shipowners and seafarers' organisations.The aim is to consider research, development, and new technology in order to facilitate ongoing enhancements and novel approaches that strike a harmonious equilibrium between seafarers' professional and personal lives.Moreover, the updated STCW code imposes a duty on shipping companies to provide training and education to seafarers through the establishment of uniform criteria that outline the necessary qualifications and training for seafarers serving on maritime vessels.However, it is worth noting that among the respondents, only respondent 6 expressed agreement with the notion that economic and social variables pose hurdles in the pursuit of achieving sustainable development.Fifty percent of the participants expressed consensus regarding the negative impact of extended work hours, elevated stress levels, and fatigue on the motivation of seafarers.This statement is in accordance with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), an organisation that recognises the unique requirements of seafarers who dedicate their professional life to maritime activities.Since its inception in 1920, the ILO has actively advocated for the enhancement of safe and conducive working environments within the maritime sector, as evidenced by the adoption of its initial maritime labour standard.Therefore, in order to effectively address all concerns pertaining to the necessity of seafarer growth, it is imperative to implement a comprehensive approach.

Measures towards a sustainable development of seafarers
The consensus among everyone who took part was that capacity building plays a crucial role in augmenting a seafarer's skills, competence, and untapped potential.Ensuring the continuation of a rigorous level of education and training within the maritime industry is of utmost importance in facilitating the optimal development of seafarers.Furthermore, the overall performance of the maritime transportation industry heavily relies on the technical skill and performance of its crews.The maritime industry is dependent on competent and well qualified seafarers to uphold maritime safety, maritime security, efficient navigation, and the responsible management of the marine environment.According to the data shown in Table 4, it can be observed that a majority of the respondents, namely a group of four representing 66.7 percent of the total sample, expressed agreement with the notion that the government should formulate a policy with the objective of promoting the development of seafarers.Consensus was reached among all participants that it is imperative for both the government and stakeholders to extend assistance to seafarers in terms of employment subsequent to their completion of the training programme.Both respondents 2 and 3 agreed that in order to address the shortage of seafarers, Malaysia should focus on enhancing its maritime education and training programmes.Education and training provide seafarers with avenues for personal and professional development, enabling them to adapt to the evolving requirements of the maritime industry and foster positive transformations.Acknowledging the significance of seafarers in the regional economy, a majority of the respondents (83.3 percent) expressed agreement with the notion that the government should actively promote maritime education and training as a means of providing incentives.The implementation of strategic human resource practises is vital for the growth and enhancement of the shipping sector as well.This process commences with the recruitment phase and extends to the evaluation of prospective candidates and seafarers, with the aim of identifying the most appropriate individuals for employment within the maritime sector, as outlined in the MSMP.In contrast to other regions worldwide, Malaysia's marine development is still in its early stages.This suggests an increased provision of financial resources and scholarships for the purpose of enhancing maritime education and training.

Conclusion and way forward
It can be concluded that in the absence of comprehensive and sustainable planning by the Transport Ministry and its affiliated agencies, it is reasonable to assert that the MSMP will not succeed, rendering the attainment of all established objectives unattainable.The prosperity of the maritime sector is wholly contingent upon the proficiency, aptitude, and extensively trained seafarers.The attainment of the maritime industry's primary objectives, namely the provision of safety, preservation of the marine environment, and assurance of security, heavily relies on the presence of a proficient workforce.The imperative to enhance governance entails the implementation of comprehensive measures in relation to policies, actions, and associated concerns.The significance of this matter is in the essentiality of the maritime industry to the overall progress of the nation, as it serves as the primary pillar of its economic and commercial framework.The implementation of national shipping legislation that enhance the rights of seafarers has the potential to contribute to the strategic development of local seafaring capacities, hence facilitating the establishment of a sustainable maritime industry.Therefore, it is

Figure 2 .
Figure 2. The operational framework to boost seafarer's development.Source: Ministry of Transport Malaysia (2015)

Table 1 .
Demographic of respondents.

Table 2 .
Themes with the frequency of coded text segments.

Table 3 .
Themes with the frequency of coded text segments.

Table 4 .
Themes with the frequency of coded text segments.recommendedthat governments implement implicit specialisation policies by allocating resources towards professional development initiatives.In order to provide a diverse array of prospects for the maritime industry in the future, it is imperative for Malaysia to develop a pragmatic policy framework.