James Kon
Ships calling at Muara Port will see less physical paperwork after a new digital system is implemented by the country’s government-linked pilotage service company.
Darussalam Pilotage Services Sdn Bhd (DPS), which was established by Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd in 2018 and given exclusive licence for pilotage and towage services, launched ‘MarineM’ at a ceremony at the Cruise Ship Shop in Muara Port yesterday.
General Manager of DPS Captain (Rtd) Zil Hasam bin Abdul Rahman said the system transforms “all our legacy paper processes into a fully end-to-end digital process”.
He said the system also aimed at providing a concerted effort in achieving the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications’ aspiration to use digital technology as a norm, in line with the country’s vision of becoming a smart nation.
The system introduced four key improvements, he said.
The first is that pilotage and towage services can be initiated online anytime via the MarineM app from any smartphone or website.
The system also introduces artificial intelligence (AI) to allocate pilots, pilot boats and tugboats, and arrange them in sequences that take into account the efficient utilisation of time and resources.
The system also integrates with the marine traffic system, which gives vessels location updates every every two minutes.
MarineM is also interfaced with the company’s human resources and accounting system Cendana, allowing invoices to be issued in a matter of minutes as soon as the pilots complete the job.
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy (Economy) Dato Seri Paduka Haji Khairuddin bin Haji Abdul Hamid, who is the Chairman of DPS, attended the launch ceremony.
The deputy minister toured the exhibition booths showcasing the new MarineM system and viewed new uniforms for pilots.
DPS handles about 4,000 vessel movements annually, ensuring the safe passage of the country’s imports and exports.
The MarineM is adopted by DPS to follow international best practices utilised by ports all over the world including those in Indonesia, the United Kingdom and Singapore.
MarineM is a product of Innovez One Pte Ltd, an expert maritime software solutions provider that help optimises maritime resources.
