Only 63 per cent of Malaysia's vast maritime domain has been surveyed to modern high-density hydrographic standards, leaving 37 per cent yet to meet the benchmark.
Modern high-density hydrographic surveying refers to mapping the seabed in a comprehensive, accurate and high-resolution detail to produce nautical charts.
National Hydrographic Centre (NHC) director-general Rear Admiral Dr Najhan Md Said said surveying Malaysia's maritime domain was a major undertaking requiring extensive work to build a comprehensive picture of the seabed.
"Many people do not realise the true extent of Malaysia's maritime territory.
"In reality, our maritime domain is almost twice the size of the land mass we typically draw on maps, spanning 569,845 sq km," he told the New Sunday Times in an exclusive interview.
He said Malaysia's breakthrough came in 1998, when KD Perantau, a hydrographic survey vessel, began its service.
Switching from a single-beam to multi-beam echo sounder, the technology transition had enabled a comprehensive, accurate and higher-resolution seabed mapping process.
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In 2018, the decommissioning of naval survey vessel KD Mutiara then left KD Perantau as the NHC's sole hydrographic survey ship.
Now, the ageing vessel faces limitations in covering Malaysia's vast maritime domain alone.
FLEET CONSTRAINTS
Najhan said surveying the remaining 37 per cent of the country's waters to modern high-density standards with a single ship is challenging.
"Relying on a single naval survey ship to complete high-density mapping across our entire maritime domain would take an estimated 55 years.
"Expecting one vessel to cover the waters off Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak is impossible," he said.
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To ease the shortfall, Najhan said the National Security Council (NSC) had introduced a three-year strategic outsourcing programme, allocating RM30 million annually to lease commercial hydrographic survey ships.
"Before this NSC-funded contract took effect, modern survey coverage had not even reached 50 per cent.
"Through outsourcing, we doubled our surveying pace and raised modern coverage to 63 per cent.
"However, national security imperatives require a dedicated fleet of naval survey vessels."
TRADE AND SOVEREIGNTY
Najhan said hydrographic surveying was critical not only to navigation, but also trade, economic security and maritime sovereignty.
The stakes are high for Malaysia, whose economy depends heavily on maritime trade.
"Data from the Academy of Sciences Malaysia indicates that the nation's ocean-based 'Blue Economy' contributes 21.3 per cent to the national gross domestic product, or roughly RM300 billion in 2020.
"Yet, the public frequently overlooks the ocean's immense economic and strategic importance," he said.
Najhan added that hydrographic surveys could help authorities maintain accurate nautical charts by detecting changes in seabed depth and identifying underwater hazards.
"The absence of sufficiently detailed or updated data does not necessarily make an area unsafe to navigate, but it can limit the accuracy of information available to mariners and authorities responsible for navigational safety."
He cited the Strait of Malacca, where the NHC determines and verifies depth parameters for the global shipping standard known as Malacca Max.
"Commercial mega-vessels traversing the Strait of Malacca operate under strict draft limits of 22 to 23.
"However, heavy maritime traffic may continually shift the seabed sand dunes, making shallow areas even shallower over time.
"Global shipping lines rely on the NHC to ensure that declared draft limits on nautical charts are accurate.
"If a mega-vessel ran aground because of inaccurate depth charts, the economic fallout would extend beyond Malaysia and could bring global trade to a standstill," he said.
Malaysia's maritime depths vary widely — from 110m northwest of Pulau Perak in the northern Strait of Malacca, to 2,932m east of Permatang Ubi, Sabah, in the South China Sea.
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Beyond navigation, seabed surveys provide scientific evidence of underwater features within Malaysia's maritime domain.
These support their identification and naming through international scientific processes.
However, where maritime sovereignty or jurisdiction is contested, hydrographic data must be considered alongside the relevant legal framework and other supporting evidence.
However, seabed mapping alone does not establish ownership of maritime territory.
Najhan said bathymetric data on submerged mountains, ridges and valleys was crucial when responding to foreign submissions to name undersea features through international bodies, such as the Sub-committee on Undersea Feature Names.
"Under international protocols, if a foreign entity attempts to register undersea features outside of our territorial waters but within Malaysia's Maritime Zones, we cannot simply object verbally. We must present our own verified bathymetric survey data.
"Accurate, updated hydrographic data provides Malaysia with the technical evidence needed to register native feature names and assert its maritime sovereignty."
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd