Legal

Johor draws the line for foreign-registered bunkering vessels

The Johor Port Authority makes a decision to allow only Malaysia-registered ships to offer bunkering and other types of marine services at Johor state ports.

Published

9 years ago

January 15, 2018

Admin

Players from both sides of the Johor-Singapore causeway welcomed a move by Lembaga Pelabuhan Johor, also known as the Johor Port Authority (JPA), to prohibit foreign-registered vessels from operating or providing marine services at all ports in the state of Johor effective 1 January, 2018.

The JPA directive seems to have drawn the line for Singapore bunkering tankers conducting outer port limit (OPL) deliveries outside Singapore, particularly in Malaysian territorial waters.

“Kudos to the Director of Marine Southern Region for taking a bold decision to disallow foreign registered vessels to operate bunkering activities within port limits of Johor,” a bunker supplier operating at Johor told Manifold Times.

“From the industry point of view, we are supportive of this ruling and its relevance. We hope that it will be enforced at all ports in Malaysia.”

The Malaysian bunkering industry has reiterated to local authorities the importance of banning foreign-flagged vessels to conduct marine fuel delivery operations at Malaysian waters for many years, he says.

“This is due to several negative impacts caused by foreign-registered vessel that not only interrupt business opportunities to domestic bunker operators but also to environment and safety issues,” he adds.

“In regard to this development, we hope all relevant agencies that oversee bunkering activities in Malaysia can take a holistic approach on the bunkering industry in line with the government long term plan to turn Malaysia ports into leading hubs for bunkering operation in Asia.”

A Singapore-based bunker industry observer has also approved the development.

“The directive reduces a lot of confusion here and sends a clear message to Singapore bunkering companies not to go over the fence for deliveries at Malaysia,” he notes.

“Ports around Johor belong to the state and not to any other countries.

“In order for Johor to regulate their own bunker industry they can only regulate vessels coming from Malaysia and Johor; they are not in a position to regulate foreign-registered bunkering vessels.

“It is also a very timely decision because there are so many other suppliers going up from Singapore to Johor to do bunker deliveries, so it is not good for Johor port itself as the local industry will have to be able to manage their own bunker deliveries and not allow other ports to come take business away.”

According to the JPA document, foreign-registered vessels are prohibited from offering bunkering, supply of fresh water, transport of ships waste (sludge, slop, etc), supply of provisions, transport of garbage, and other marine services determined by the Port Officer at all ports in the state of Johor.

Foreign registered vessels more than fifteen (15) net tonnage are required to register their vessels to Malaysian Registry or Terminable Certificate of Registry (TCR) in preparation to meet the requirements of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (Amendments) 2017.

Foreign registered vessels that have been issued with approvals may continue to operate until the expiry of their respective approvals. These requirements serve as directives of the Port Officer made under section 447 of the MSO 1952.

Publication date: 15 January, 2018

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Published

16 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July).

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions.

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Published

16 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator of Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd issues notice of dividend

Third interim dividend to admitted unsecured claims of Nan Shan Maritime is payable from 15 July, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

6 days ago

July 16, 2026

Admin

A notice of dividend for Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd, which is currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, was published on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (15 July).

The following are the details of the notice:

Name of Company : Nan Shan Maritime (Pte.) Ltd.(In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 201701967H
Address of Registered Office : 10 Anson Road, #10-10, International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Amount per centum : 5.00 Per Centum of all admitted unsecured, claims
First and Final or Otherwise : Third Interim
When Payable : 15 July 2026
Where Payable : Entitlements will be made by way of cheque.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 16 July, 2026