Asian shippers warned not to compromise on security<\/p>\n
Eileen Ng, Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Malaysia urged Asian shipping lines Monday not to compromise
\non security measures amid growing terrorist threats and said it
\nwould cooperate with the United States on container security.<\/p>\n
"Shipping lines are now being compelled to take a relook at
\nthe way cargoes are loaded or what cargoes are carried, where,
\nwhy and how," said Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik, opening a
\ntwo-day Asia Maritime and Logistics Conference here.<\/p>\n
"There is also the need to review documents that accompany the
\ncargo. The search for greater maritime safety and security
\ndemands a firm hand and quick decisions and there can be no
\ncompromise on this," Ling said.<\/p>\n
He told reporters later that Malaysia was negotiating for U.S.
\ncustoms agents to check U.S.-bound consignments for terrorist
\nmaterial at its ports under the U.S. Container Security
\nInitiative (CSI).<\/p>\n
"We are still having talks but there is tremendous cooperation
\nfrom the Malaysian authorities because we see it as something we
\nought to do to allow our friends to know that ours is a safe
\nport. There is nothing to hide," he said.<\/p>\n
Ling said U.S. officials would only conduct "very selective
\nrisk assessment" and the move would not slow down trade.<\/p>\n
"We have the latest scanning equipment to scan boxes in almost
\nno time, and therefore, it will not be an impediment to trade.
\nThat is the prerequisite, it should not slow down trade."<\/p>\n
The southern Port of Tanjung Pelepas, one of Malaysia's main
\nports, had also approached U.S. authorities to participate in the
\ninitiative.<\/p>\n
The U.S. customs acting Southeast Asian attache Peter Darvas,
\nbased in SIngapore, said high-level meetings would be held over
\nthe next two months to finalise details.<\/p>\n
In Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan have joined the CSI --
\nan anti-terrorism plan involving pre-screening and identifying
\nhigh-risk containers carrying US-bound cargo -- along with the
\nNetherlands, Belgium, France and Germany, he told AFP.<\/p>\n
Darvas later told the conference that some U.S. congressmen
\nhave called for a check on all six million cargo containers
\nentering U.S. seaports each year but this would be "wasteful,
\nmake no sense" and disrupt trade.<\/p>\n
He urged the region to cooperate in providing timely and
\naccurate information on the cargoes.<\/p>\n
"Combating terrorism is the number one priority of U.S. custom
\nservice and will be our number one priority in the foreseeable
\nfuture because the terrorist threat is real and ongoing," he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Shippers earlier told the conference that operating costs had
\nrisen due to higher war-risk insurance premiums following the
\nOct. 6 explosion aboard a French supertanker off the Yemeni coast
\nand a looming U.S.-Iraq war.<\/p>\n
Malaysian International Shipping Corp. chief executive Mohamad
\nAli Yasin said all shipping firms have been hit by a doubling of
\ncargo insurance premiums to 0.04 percent while bunker prices have
\nalso soared.<\/p>\n
"It's a very volatile period that we are in," said F. Jacobs,
\npresident and chief executive of shipping giant APL-NOL, adding
\nthat there was a need now for firms to "reevaluate safety
\nstandards."<\/p>\n
Ling told reporters a U.S.-Iraq war would be devastating for
\nthe industry, with insurance costs surging and additional costs
\nfor shippers having to detour around the Middle East.<\/p>\n
"We don't want to be alarmist about this and we still hope
\nthat good sense will prevail," he said.<\/p>\n
On the Yemen incident and the terror bomb blast in Indonesia's
\nBali island late Saturday, Ling said the Malaysian government had
\nalready put in place tight security measures.<\/p>",
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