PLANNING OF MARITIME ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN MALAYSIA: TOWARDS THE PRACTICE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Although Malaysia has emerged as one of the world's most significant maritime nations, not all activities in the maritime sector in the country are conducted in line with the concept of sustainable development. This article underlines the major aspects which should be given attention to by the stakeholders in the effort to introduce the philosophy of sustainable development in the local maritime sector. It underlines the need to pay heed to environmental protection in developing maritime infrastructures such as ports and in the promotion of maritime economic activities such as shipping, fishery and offshore oil and gas exploration and production. The set of initiatives recommended in the article gives strategic focus on maintaining harmony between the Malaysian maritime environment and those involved in the maritime industry. It also takes into account the legal framework and the economic interests of the stakeholders in the sector towards finding convergence between exploiting the nation's maritime riches and protecting the integrity of its maritime environment in line with the concept of sustainable development.