Uploaded on April 30 to the IMO website, the circular SN.1-Circ. 338 informs international organizations and the maritime community that the Voluntary Pilotage Services (VPS) had been implemented in the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait on Jan. 1, 2019, and was provided by pilots “certified by the respective authority in each of the three Littoral States of the Straits” (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore).

The circular also includes links to the official websites of the three Littoral States that contain guidelines on the implementation of pilotage services. The guidelines were adopted by the three states at the Tripartite Technical Expert Group Meeting on the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (TTEG) in 2016.

"Our efforts to carry out voluntary scouting together with the three littoral states of the two straits has been officially recognized by the IMO and the world," said Director General of Sea Transportation R. Agus H. Purnomo.

Director of Ports Subagiyo said that the voluntary piloting services in the two straits was first introduced in IMO document Res. A.375 (x) dated Nov. 14, 1977 with respect to navigation passage through the Strait of Malacca and the Singapore Strait. Annex V of the resolution recommends that all Deep Draft Vessels (DDV) and Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) use piloting services when available.

The resolution was later updated through SN. Circ 198 dated May 26, 1998. Item 3 of Annex 1 on general provisions in the circular recommends that all ships with deep drafts use piloting services when crossing the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait.

Previously in 1993, discussions were also raised at the 18th TTEG Session in Malaysia on improved shipping safety and maritime environmental protection through piloting services.

However, special discussions on the pilotage agenda in the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait only resurfaced in 2016 at the 41st TTEG Session in Yogyakarta, which agreed to the VPS guidelines in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

The agreement came following a series of meetings among the three littoral states, which sought to draft its guidelines on voluntary pilotage in the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait.

"The guidelines contain provisions on the implementation of joint voluntary piloting in the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait by the three littoral states," Subagiyo said.

The three states then agreed to discuss the technical implementation of voluntary pilotage in their respective territories and to submit the draft to the IMO Secretariat for further input and circulation.

"The IMO Secretariat then expressed its support and willingness to proceed with the draft, after the three littoral states held an informal meeting with the IMO Secretariat on the sidelines of the 7th NCSR IMO session in London in January 2020, until finally [the circular] was officially issued this April," said Subagiyo.

According to the agreed guidelines, the VPS in the Malacca Strait and the Singapore Strait includes granting assistance to the shipmaster by pilots who have been certified to provide pilotage in both straits by the authorities of the three littoral states.

The use of VPS is entirely up to the discretion of the captain or owner of the vessel. The authorities of the three littoral states or other authorities may not impose any conditions or show preference in determining pilotage for ships transiting the Malacca Strait or the Singapore Strait, or heading to any port located in either strait.

The pilot only acts as an advisor to the captain of the ship, who is responsible for the safe navigation and maneuvering of their vessel.

Furthermore, the authorities of the littoral states must take the necessary steps in accordance with the existing laws in their respective states in implementing and supervising the implementation of the VPS guidelines.

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