KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — Women’s participation in Malaysia’s maritime industry is gaining momentum, with 909 female seafarers currently serving in the sector, said MISC Bhd president and group chief executive officer Zahid Osman.
He said women currently account for 3.2 per cent of Malaysia’s 28,400 seafarers, compared with only one per cent of the global seafaring workforce.
“While the numbers remain small, they reflect meaningful progress and growing momentum,” he said during the launch of the Chart Her Course Exhibition here, today.
Zahid said for decades, MISC’s wholly-owned maritime training academy, Akademi Laut Malaysia (ALAM) has produced generations of maritime professionals who have gone on to serve across the global maritime industry.
He said ALAM has also helped open doors for more women to participate in professions that once seemed inaccessible.
“In 2006, ALAM welcomed the first batch of female cadets. Fifteen years later, in 2021, one of those pioneers made history as Malaysia’s first female master mariner or captain,” he said.
Zahid added that ALAM’s female cadet participation currently stands at 11.5 per cent, significantly above the global average for women in seafaring.
“But this journey is not about statistics alone. It is about visibility, representation and ensuring young women can look at this industry and say, there is a place for me here,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chart Her Course Exhibition, held from May 19 to 25 at the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, is an immersive showcase organised by MISC in conjunction with the International Day for Women in Maritime to increase visibility of women’s roles in the industry.
Through interactive installations, including a command centre simulator and themed walkthroughs, the exhibition aims to challenge perceptions that maritime careers are limited to men, while highlighting opportunities for women to lead and build careers in the sector.
