THE Malaysian Marine Department is charting a new course for maritime education.
It will officially endorse the use of modern simulators to ensure local seafarers are not only just “certified, but ready for the high seas.
Speaking at the TCCS Marine Training Institute and Simulator Centre grand opening in Sibu, as well as the graduation ceremony for maritime professional courses’ participants, the department’s director-general Datuk Dickson Dollah highlighted the importance of embracing advanced training methods.
He said technology-based training was no longer optional, but an essential tool in navigating an increasingly complex and high-risk maritime industry.
“In an industry where navigation safety and international compliance are paramount, the quality of training received is everything,” he said.
Dickson said they strongly encourage the use of simulators to ensure local personnel were competent, disciplined and ready to face real-world challenges.
He said the department would continue to strengthen strategic collaboration with training institutions and industry players to ensure training programmes stayed relevant.
The opening marks a significant milestone in the department’s strategy to collaborate with private institutions to bolster the nation’s maritime human capital, he added.
TCCS Marine, established in October 2023, has become a high-volume hub for the industry, successfully hosting 129 courses and training nearly 1,090 participants in two years.
As a department-approved institution, TCCS Marine operates under the STCW 1978 International Convention and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, ensuring its graduates meet the gold standard of global shipping.
Founded by veteran navigators and former Marine Department examiners, the training balances strict regulatory requirements with practical, reality of life on a ship.
Dickson said the opening of the training institute was a welcome development for the department, as it underscored the private sector’s role as a strategic partner in strengthening a sustainable, high-quality and competitive maritime training ecosystem.
TCCS managing director James Ho said the institute was setting its sights on the future.
Future expansion plans include launching preparatory courses for Chief and Second Engineers (above 3,000kW), fully utilising Bridge and Engine simulators to mirror real-life shipboard crises, and implementing Engine Resource Management and Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (Arpa) simulator training.
