3 nations bolster Malacca Strait safety with AI, distress rules
What's next: regional rules for ships in distress are due this year, and Singapore will push joint responses to container cargo fires.
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore renewed their commitment on Aug. 25 to keep the Straits of Malacca and Singapore free, open and safe for international shipping, as they opened the 17th Cooperation Forum in Singapore. The three littoral states said ships retain transit rights under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and backed closer work with user states and industry on navigational safety and marine protection. Singapore Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said the countries recently completed a project to use virtual navigational aids when physical markers are under maintenance, and are using digital tools, including AI, to spot traffic hot spots and collision risks.