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Singapore Maritime Dialogue: ‘Challenging and yet exciting times’ for the industry

MPA, Sinanju Tankers, and Ship Supplies Direct were among panelists at the event centred on “Building a Future-Ready Maritime Singapore”.

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Singapore’s maritime sector is undergoing though “challenging and yet exciting times”, said Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health, at the Singapore Maritime Dialogue 2018 (SMD) on Saturday.

The event centred on the theme “Building a Future-Ready Maritime Singapore” was organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA); this was the first time MPA teamed up with students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) to engage and encourage their peers to participate in the SMD.

The panel discussion saw 400 tertiary students being briefed by a team of panellists including Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA, Desmond Chong, General Manager of Sinanju Tankers, Eric Chean, CEO of Ship Supplies Direct Pte Ltd, and Associate Professor Tan Kok Choon, NUS Business School, Decision Sciences (moderator) on various issues and job opportunities related to Singapore’s maritime sector.

“It is evolving, and the competition is actually intensifying by other ports in the region which are also following our footsteps and trying to get as much business as possible so that they may eventually pose a threat to us,” noted Dr Lam.

“But we must take effort to transform Maritime Singapore and ensure that we stay ahead of this power curve, and we must maintain our status as a vibrant international maritime centre and well-connected hub port.

“We are putting in a lot of efforts in ensuring this. One of these can be seen in our efforts to develop our Next Generation Port in Tuas. This is really a huge investment and is a great ambitious plan. Besides increasing its capacity to 65 million TEUs, which is about 15 million more than what we have currently, it will also be a smart port using automated technologies so that we can achieve productivity and efficiency.”

Lam continued to inform the audience of Singapore’s Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map that will help to transform the republic’s maritime sector to become more innovative and technology-savvy while creating more than 5,000 jobs for Singaporeans by 2025.

“Besides ship charterers, brokers, marine insurers and maritime lawyers, we now have data analysts, robotics experts and cyber-security specialists joining the ranks of maritime professionals,” he shared.

“For those inspired to take up a maritime career after this dialogue, there are many resources at the Maritime Singapore Connect Office you can readily tap on to find out more about the opportunities in Maritime Singapore.

“You can also reach out and talk to our Maritime Ambassadors like Desmond from Sinanju Tankers.”

Related: INSIGHT & EXCLUSIVE: NUS creates ‘digital twin’ of Singapore’s next gen port
Related: Expert commentary: This is what MFMs mean to Singapore
Related: Barge operator’s dilemma: Fuel product diversification coming 2020

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 29 July, 2018

 

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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.

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RESIZED Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

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.

Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Founder OK Lim gets jail term slashed to 13.5 years

 

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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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.

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RESIZED Drew Beamer

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.

Related: Singapore: Director declares Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping’s inability to continue business
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
Related: Singapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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