"INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND CURRENT SET-UP BY THE OIL INDUSTRY"

The increasing incidence of oil spills in the Straits of Malacca and the South China sea, has resulted in growing concern about Malaysia's capability to respond to oil spills in its water. This concern is compounded by the ever growing number of oil tankers plying the Straits of Malacca and the South China Seas, as well as the activities in exploration and development of offshore petroleum resources. Various measures were taken by the Government to deal with the problem including a review of its National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP), incorporating a coordinated and a cost-effective response mechanism amongst the various government agencies. The incorporation of the Petroleum industry of Malaysia Mutual Aid Group (PIMMAG), which enables pooling of spill response resources among the oil industry reflects the industry's commitment to strengthen the NOSCP. Since mid-seventies, a number of regional efforts have been constituted such as the Traffic Separation Scheme for Straits of Malacca, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore Revolving Fund the Lombok-Macassar Oil Spill Contingency Plan, the Brunei Bay Oil Spill Contingency Plan, the ASEAN Oil Spill Response Plan and the proposed ASCOPE Oil Spill Contingency Plan.