SPEECH BY MS QUAH LEY HOON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MPA AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE DIPLOMA IN MARITIME AND OFFSHORE MANAGEMENT, 21 JULY 2022
Published 25 Jul 2022
Captain Mohd Salleh, Director, Singapore Maritime Academy,
Graduands of the Diploma in Maritime and Offshore Management,
1. Good evening. It is a very joyous occasion as 34 of you will be graduating with the Diploma in Maritime and Offshore Management (DMOM)! Just yesterday, we had the MOT Family Beacon Scholarship Ceremony, sending off a group of students for their studies, who will come back to serve in the maritime, aviation and land sectors. I am glad that today, we have yet another ceremony to celebrate your achievements. We are also delighted to have our colleagues from Singapore Maritime Foundation, Singapore Shipping Association, and the Singapore Polytechnic on this special occasion. My heartiest congratulations to all 34 of you – graduands of the Diploma in Maritime and Offshore Management! All of you should be proud of your achievements in your lifelong journey of continual upgrading. We should also not forget your friends and family members who have also supported you through the journey whom some are here today. Let us give a round of applause to them as well!
Maritime Singapore is growing
2. Let me share with you my three insights of the maritime sector, which will hopefully give you a deeper insight of the work we do in maritime Singapore as you embark in your next career.
3. First, Maritime is a critical sector for global trade and for Singapore’s survival as a country. It is central to international trade and Singapore’s economy. Around 90% of traded goods around the world are shipped via the sea. Despite the pandemic, Singapore remained resilient as the largest transhipment and bunkering hub serving Singapore needs and the global supply chain. About one third of global energy and a quarter of the global containers flows through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, demonstrating the pivotal role we play in the global supply chain. In 2021, despite the impacts of the pandemic, Singapore saw a record high container throughput of 37.5 million TEUs handled and continued to be regarded as the top maritime city globally, both by the Menon Economics-DNV report, as well as the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index which was just announced earlier this month.
Opportunities in maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation
4. Second, we are looking at exciting opportunities ahead in maritime especially in digitalisation and decarbonisation, right here in Singapore. The sector is rapidly transforming, and we are playing an important role together with our partners such as Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA) to try to bring forward the changes as fast as possible. Despite the pandemic, more than 40 maritime companies set-up or expanded operations in Singapore, especially in the areas of digitalisation and decarbonisation. On digitalisation, Singapore is pushing ahead to digitalise the maritime sector to enhance the efficiency of the global supply chain. These include digitalPORT@SGTM and its Just-in-Time services to streamline port clearance processes, improve coordination for port and marine services, and reduce vessel turnaround time, as well as electronic Bunker Delivery Note (eBDN) to improve financial fraud detection and efficiencies in transacting e-documentation. On sustainability, MPA launched the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint 2050 earlier this year, which set out ambitious goals to reduce our port and harbour craft emissions by 2050, among other areas. This will be rolled out by our Centres of Excellence such as Maritime Energy and Sustainable Development (MESD) and affiliates with the industry such as Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD). So, as you see, we have a lot of exciting opportunities ahead – we are not just going global, but we are going green, we are going digital.
Making the switch and seizing new opportunities
5. Third, we see job opportunities growing in the maritime sector. With the Diploma in Maritime and Offshore Management, you would have clear understanding and competencies in key maritime functional areas, such as shipbroking, cargo management and survey, ship and financial management, maritime law and insurance, as well as supply chain management. These are good career options you can consider. You can visit the Maritime Singapore Connect (MSC) website and explore the more than 70 job opportunities that are available. Most importantly, keep an open mind, be curious, continue to broaden and deepen your skills, as you explore the opportunities within Maritime Singapore.
Closing
6. In closing, I hope you will remember the positive experiences, friends, and maritime knowledge that you have picked up in this course. I hope all of you will join the maritime sector, and contribute to our economy, our trade and the whole global supply chain, which is currently under disruption. As a port, we have a lot of areas to keep up with, and we need your skillset. I look forward to you joining our vibrant, innovative, and resilient sector.
7. Once again, congratulations on your graduation. I wish you happiness and success in your future endeavours.
Graduands of the Diploma in Maritime and Offshore Management,
1. Good evening. It is a very joyous occasion as 34 of you will be graduating with the Diploma in Maritime and Offshore Management (DMOM)! Just yesterday, we had the MOT Family Beacon Scholarship Ceremony, sending off a group of students for their studies, who will come back to serve in the maritime, aviation and land sectors. I am glad that today, we have yet another ceremony to celebrate your achievements. We are also delighted to have our colleagues from Singapore Maritime Foundation, Singapore Shipping Association, and the Singapore Polytechnic on this special occasion. My heartiest congratulations to all 34 of you – graduands of the Diploma in Maritime and Offshore Management! All of you should be proud of your achievements in your lifelong journey of continual upgrading. We should also not forget your friends and family members who have also supported you through the journey whom some are here today. Let us give a round of applause to them as well!
Maritime Singapore is growing
2. Let me share with you my three insights of the maritime sector, which will hopefully give you a deeper insight of the work we do in maritime Singapore as you embark in your next career.
3. First, Maritime is a critical sector for global trade and for Singapore’s survival as a country. It is central to international trade and Singapore’s economy. Around 90% of traded goods around the world are shipped via the sea. Despite the pandemic, Singapore remained resilient as the largest transhipment and bunkering hub serving Singapore needs and the global supply chain. About one third of global energy and a quarter of the global containers flows through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, demonstrating the pivotal role we play in the global supply chain. In 2021, despite the impacts of the pandemic, Singapore saw a record high container throughput of 37.5 million TEUs handled and continued to be regarded as the top maritime city globally, both by the Menon Economics-DNV report, as well as the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index which was just announced earlier this month.
Opportunities in maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation
4. Second, we are looking at exciting opportunities ahead in maritime especially in digitalisation and decarbonisation, right here in Singapore. The sector is rapidly transforming, and we are playing an important role together with our partners such as Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA) to try to bring forward the changes as fast as possible. Despite the pandemic, more than 40 maritime companies set-up or expanded operations in Singapore, especially in the areas of digitalisation and decarbonisation. On digitalisation, Singapore is pushing ahead to digitalise the maritime sector to enhance the efficiency of the global supply chain. These include digitalPORT@SGTM and its Just-in-Time services to streamline port clearance processes, improve coordination for port and marine services, and reduce vessel turnaround time, as well as electronic Bunker Delivery Note (eBDN) to improve financial fraud detection and efficiencies in transacting e-documentation. On sustainability, MPA launched the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint 2050 earlier this year, which set out ambitious goals to reduce our port and harbour craft emissions by 2050, among other areas. This will be rolled out by our Centres of Excellence such as Maritime Energy and Sustainable Development (MESD) and affiliates with the industry such as Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD). So, as you see, we have a lot of exciting opportunities ahead – we are not just going global, but we are going green, we are going digital.
Making the switch and seizing new opportunities
5. Third, we see job opportunities growing in the maritime sector. With the Diploma in Maritime and Offshore Management, you would have clear understanding and competencies in key maritime functional areas, such as shipbroking, cargo management and survey, ship and financial management, maritime law and insurance, as well as supply chain management. These are good career options you can consider. You can visit the Maritime Singapore Connect (MSC) website and explore the more than 70 job opportunities that are available. Most importantly, keep an open mind, be curious, continue to broaden and deepen your skills, as you explore the opportunities within Maritime Singapore.
Closing
6. In closing, I hope you will remember the positive experiences, friends, and maritime knowledge that you have picked up in this course. I hope all of you will join the maritime sector, and contribute to our economy, our trade and the whole global supply chain, which is currently under disruption. As a port, we have a lot of areas to keep up with, and we need your skillset. I look forward to you joining our vibrant, innovative, and resilient sector.
7. Once again, congratulations on your graduation. I wish you happiness and success in your future endeavours.