PORT SECURITY VS ECONOMIC GAIN: AN EXPOSITION OF THE MALAYSIAN PORT AND MARITIME SECURITY PRACTICE

Seaports represent economic development and act as focal points in the global strategic environment. The economic contribution through seaports of Malaysia relies heavily on safe passage of merchant ships through the Straits of Malacca and at Malaysian ports. The economic advantages to the Malaysian government due to the presence of the surrounding sea are enormous. However, these economic advantages through the ports are not without their own challenges as ships that call to unload are vulnerable to shipment of dangerous cargo and weapons. The question is whether the government should enhance the monitoring of foreign ships that unload at Malaysian ports bringing enormous economic gains to Malaysia? This paper recommends that economic gain should not be given priority over port security as the former may not be capable of remedying the havoc that could result through negligence in the latter.