MIMA Plays Key Role In Malaysia's Maritime Interests

By Ahmad Muliady Abdul Majid KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- Despite it being "low profile", the Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) plays a major role in assisting the government and other related agencies in preserving the maritime sovereignty of the country. Its senior researcher Jalila Abdul Jalil said as a think tank, it is incumbent upon MIMA to provide inputs and draft policies in assisting the government resolve issues relating to Malaysia's maritime borders. "The task of MIMA is only to provide inputs and drafts while the decision to settle cases or policies is determined by the government as the implementing body," she told Bernama recently. She said there is no specific time frame in resolving problems on maritime borders as this involves negotiations between governments. "Usually a case takes a long time in the negotiation process, up to 40 years, as many issues need to be resolved between the littoral countries. "It is impossible to settle issues or cases on overlapping maritime borders quickly," she said. Jalila, who has served MIMA for ten years, said among her experience was a case involving Malaysia-Indonesia maritime border several years ago. Apart from being involved in resolving maritime border issues, MIMA is also involved in drafing laws on maritime matters besides providing talks on maritime issues to related government agencies. At the same time, MIMA is also tasked with organising the biennial Straits of Melaka conference and the yearly South China Sea conference. -- BERNAMA