SINGAPORE: Government-related agencies and departments from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia conducted a joint table-top exercise (TTX) on Tuesday (Feb 11) to enhance regional coordination and strengthen response capabilities for oil spills.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement that the exercise brought together over 20 representatives from the agency, Indonesia’s Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Malaysia’s Environment Department, and oil spill response experts from ITOPF.
The MPA-led TTX was held as part of Singapore’s chairmanship of the Revolving Fund Committee (RFC) from April 2022 to March 2027.
MPA said the exercise focused on coordination procedures to ensure swift and clear communication between the littoral states during an oil spill incident, the rapid deployment of response assets, and collaboration between government agencies and oil spill response companies to optimise response resources for incidents in the the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
"The response strategies and asset deployment plans tested during the TTX will be exercised during a Ground Deployment Exercise between the three littoral states and ITOPF in 2026,” MPA said.
The RFC, established through a memorandum of understanding between the three littoral states and the Malacca Strait Council in 1981, is a funding mechanism allowing each littoral state to draw a cash advance from the Fund to combat oil spills from ships in the SOMS. - Bernama
