Gearing up for the sea: (From left) Meninderjit Singh Muktiar Singh, Norhana Hasan and Tan Ee Lyn taking a look at sailing tools on display at MISC headquarters in Menara Dayabumi, Kuala Lumpur. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star
Three sailors tell StarMetro about their experiences working on a maritime vessel
Long periods away from home, unpredictable weather conditions and social isolation are some of the things that people associate with a career in seafaring.
But for a select group of passionate individuals who have opted for this line of work, it is more than just a job.
Some might say it is a calling.
Seafaring dates back to ancient civilisations, when intrepid sailors embarked on perilous voyages, guided only by the stars and knowledge of the winds.
Although technology may have revolutionised the maritime industry over time, the essence of seafaring remains unchanged.
Meninderjit says he has to miss some family occasions while at sea. — Photos: LOW BOON TAT/The Star
From cargo ships and cruise liners to tankers and fishing vessels, seafarers from diverse backgrounds and nationalities work in harmony for a common purpose, which is getting all aboard to their destination safely.
Seafarers, also known as mariners or sailors, are responsible for transporting more than 90% of the world’s commodities today, making maritime transport the backbone of international trade and the global economy.
It is remarkable that only 0.02% of the world’s population or 1.89 million seafarers are responsible for transporting all these goods.
As such, the International Maritime Organisation celebrates their role with Day of the Seafarer on June 25 every year.
StarMetro speaks to three seafarers of different ranks and backgrounds from Eaglestar Shipmanagement (L) Pte Ltd (a part of MISC Bhd group) to find out their daily responsibilities in ensuring that maritime goods transport runs smoothly.
Captain on the bridge
Ship captain Meninderjit Singh Muktiar Singh, 38, credits his maiden ride on a ferry back in the 1980s for fuelling his passion to work at sea.
“I was five when I was on Feri Malaysia from Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia.
“The journey was intriguing and I fell in love with the vessel and enjoyed the ride.
“My father, who had served in the army for 35 years, had given me a chance to board a vessel and I liked the experience,” he said.
Meninderjit (in white) with his fellow crewmen.
Meninderjit, who is from Ipoh in Perak, joined the Malaysian Maritime Academy (Alam) in 2005 as a cadet officer for a three-year training programme before working six months on a vessel.
After graduating, he climbed the ranks, going from freshly commissioned officer to captain.
“As captain, I am in command of the vessel and responsible for the people and assets on board.
“I have to make sure that the vessel and its environment are safe, that the cargo is transported and of course, meeting clients’ requirements as part of the commercial obligation,” he said.
Meninderjit recently delivered liquefied natural gas (LNG) via South-East Asia’s first LNG bunker vessel to dual fuel vessels at sea.
Bunker vessels carry petroleum products – in this case LNG – while dual fuel vessels operate on either LNG or conventional liquid marine fuels.
Norhana prepares the ship’s paperwork to ensure things go smoothly when docked at port.
“This project is one of the very first in the region,” he said.
As captain, Meninderjit faces an array of challenges that tests his mettle on a daily basis, such as adverse weather conditions including storms with towering waves that put strain on a ship.
The isolation felt while being on the open ocean, far from the comforts of home and loved ones also demands that one be resilient and build mental fortitude.
“Being the eldest in the family and away for months at a time, there are family emergencies and celebrations that I cannot be there for.
“This can affect us emotionally but we know that it comes with the job.
Tan says her charting tasks start well before the vessel’s journey gets underway.
“There are also memorable times at sea where within a short period of time, we forge relationships with crew members.
“In addition, we would not soon forget the thrill of completing a job and will miss other crew members,” he said.
Moving forward, Meninderjit is keen to work on projects that take MISC towards net zero carbon emission, such as commercially viable ammonia-fuelled zero-emission vessels.
“We are in support of the global net zero emission initiatives and it is an important step towards turning energy greener,” he said.
Full speed ahead
Navigating the vast seas is a challenge that second officer Tan Ee Lyn, 36, does not shy away from, and she regularly charts a course that takes the ship and its crew to its destination.
As such, her work starts well before a voyage begins.
“Aside from assisting the captain in keeping watch of the sea and cargo, the other major responsibilities are voyage planning and course monitoring.
“Usually, we will get voyage orders from the charterer on where to dock the ship for cargo loading and unloading.
“So, I need to chart a course to ensure that the ship travels safely from point A to point B with the captain’s consultation.
“The first officer and I also keep watch on the bridge with a four-hour shift each,” she said.
Norhana (centre) with some of her colleagues at work.
While on the bridge, Tan’s tasks include recording the weather and constant monitoring of the route.
“For example, we need to keep a lookout for pods of dolphins, whales and other sea animals like turtles to see if the presence of these creatures would affect the ship’s course.
“This is to ensure we avoid any collisions.
“We also have to be aware of what’s going on around the ship – sometimes our navigational tools cannot pick up small fishing boats or debris, which might end up in the middle of the charted course.
“Identifying such debris and obstacles also requires experience,” she added.
In the olden days, seafarers relied on the constellations to track their location, but modern ships are equipped with advanced digital tools that assist navigation.
“While radar measures distance and direction at sea, an echo sounder measures the depth of the sea.
Tan disembarking her ship after a a long period at sea.
“There has to be a minimum depth between the under-keel clearance to the seabed, so we have to watch for that too.
“We learn about constellations at the academy and common constellations such as Orion, Sirius, Scorpius and Polaris are often sighted,” said Tan.
The officer from Alor Setar, Kedah, also talked about her journey as a cadet.
“I told myself that I did not want to work an eight-to-five office job. This career takes me places and I get to meet different kinds of people.
“Being one of the few female seafarers on board might be intimidating at first but once I got to know the crew and worked with them as a team, I started to enjoy the camaraderie,” she said.
Tan said shipping offered good career prospects, especially now that the industry had more exposure.
“One has to experience it to know what it is like and the old stories of the job being tough does not reflect the present reality,” she said, adding that there were a lot of opportunities at sea.
Shipshape and ready
It might sound mundane to some that a ship administrative assistant like Norhana Hasan, 35, must ensure that all necessary documentation is in place.
In truth, however, her role requires that she wear many hats.
Aside from preparing documents and paperwork needed for port entry and clearances, Norhana also takes on the role of human resources officer, which means she looks into the crew’s welfare and grievances.
“I work from 8am to 6pm every day and this entails managing paperwork, liaising with charterers through calls as well as handling issues brought up by some of the crew.
“Loading and unloading at different ports require specific paperwork that need to be ready before we dock.
“I also handle and safeguard the passports of crew members,” she said.
Norhana, who hails from Merlimau in Melaka, recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, seafarers were badly affected.
“The crew would often ask when they could get home and people were on edge.
“Sometimes, crew members would come to me for emotional support and I would listen to them,” she said.
Norhana also recalled a medical emergency where a member of the crew was suffering back pain.
“Although he was being treated by an on-board medical officer, he was not able to move much and had to stay on board for two weeks.
“This is because we might not be able to sign-off the crew at the nearest port because of different security levels and restrictions by different countries.
“So, we prepared him food and took care of him,” she said.
After a hard day’s work on the ship, Norhana finds happiness at the end of the day as she looks at the sun setting on the horizon.
“I still remember a majestic sunset while sailing near Houston, Texas in the US – the scene has been etched in my mind.
“It was memorable and a rare occasion while being on board,” she said.
