N A M A R I N

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will soon elect a new Secretary-General. The incumbent Secretary-General, Kitack Lim, is to end his term in December 2023. The selection process to find a successor for the leader of the organization, which is under the United Nations, started in December 2022. March 31 was the deadline for nominating candidates. Seven have been proposed by seven member countries of the organization, whose Headquarters are based in the city of London. Media reported that the seven candidates include Moin Uddin Ahmed (Bangladesh), Suat Hayri Aka (Turkiye), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco (Panama), Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry (Dominica), Nancy Karigithu (Kenya), Minna Kivimäki (Finland) and Zhang Xiaojie (China). Their fate will be determined in elections by the IMO Council, which will hold its 129th meeting in July 2023. As a member country, Indonesia did not nominate any of its compatriots, despite the lack of any impediment. What a pity. Why is it

The Indonesian Navy (or TNI AL) recently officiated a coordinated patrol cooperation agreement, code-named CORPAT INDOSIN, with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). This marks another milestone in the two institutions’ effort to secure the Strait of Malacca. Apart from this new scheme, another joint maritime security measure covering the Strait involves the other littoral state, i.e. Malaysia, and is known as MALSINDO, or interchangeably dubbed the "Malacca Strait Patrol" (MSP). Introduced first in 2004, the MSP includes air surveillance, under the aegis of Eyes in the Sky, and a MSP Intelligence Exchange Group, currently managed by Information Fusion Center, a unit under RSN.   Apart from the joint effort with the Singapore Navy, TNI AL will launch a similar coordinated patrol collaboration with the Royal Malaysia Navy (RMN). All in all, the Strait of Malacca, including the tiny water corridor that runs along the Strait of Singapore, is theoretically well-patrolled by the

Media recently reported new shipping connectivity between Belawan port on the coast of North Sumatra province and an Indian destination, to be commenced soon. Initiated by the Ministry of State-owned Enterprises, the plan involves Indonesia Port Corporation or Pelindo and DP World, as a follow up to last year’s investment commitment from the government of the UAE for Rp457 trillion (US$30,19 billion) in the context of which the port business is one area of interest.   Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, the "Indonesia Investment Authority" or INA, a new body set up by the Government of Indonesia to manage Dubai’s investment asset, will accordingly establish a joint company, perhaps in the form of a capital venture, with the international port operator responsible for handling the new connection. This new firm will also invest in the development of the existing container terminal, currently controlled by PT Prima Terminal Petikemas (locally dubbed Prima Petikemas), a subsid