Speech by Senior Minister of State for Transport and Law Mr Murali Pillai at Ministry of Transport’s Committee of Supply 2026 Debate

Introduction

1.          Mr Chairman, the sea has always been Singapore’s open passage to the world. We have relied on it throughout our history.

2.          Today, the seas are choppy – when we speak of supply chain disruptions, it is sea lanes that grant, or prohibit, passage to supply chains across the world. When we speak of geopolitical tensions, it is the literal ports of call that are changing amid greater volatility and global uncertainties.

3.          Since last weekend, we, on this side of the world, have been saddened to note the ongoing situation in the Middle East. Not only has it claimed lives, it has also begun to disrupt the flow of around 20% of the world’s oil and gas through the narrow Strait of Hormuz. Already, several shipping companies have announced the suspension of vessel transits through the Strait. This will inevitably cause upward price pressures on these commodities. All these consequences happened in just a matter of days.

4.          Amidst all this upheaval, the maritime sector can be a steady conduit, keeping Singapore connected to the world Singapore was built on the backbone of our geography along two straits; the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. And the sea can continue to afford us the same riches it had in the past, if we only look to our time-proven instincts and skills and grow our seafarers and maritime workforce. If we do this well, we will continue to ride the seas as we have throughout our history.

5.          We will press ahead with four key thrusts.

 The Open Seas as a Global Commons

6.          First, we must remain open, and support the free flow of trade, people and partnerships. The open seas are not an empire to be conquered but a global commons subject to internationally-accepted rules and laws. For Singapore as a small island nation, this rule is a bulwark upon which we rely.

7.          But governance of a global commons cannot be a sole enterprise, least of all for a small country like ours. The Acting Minister for Transport has explained how we will continue to drive collective efforts at key international institutions such as the International Maritime Organization.

8.          We also pledge to work with like-minded partners to contribute to the development of rules and standards for international shipping. One way is by establishing Green and Digital Shipping Corridors with other countries. These collaborations enable us to collectively develop technologies, infrastructure, and standards to promote a more sustainable and connected maritime ecosystem. We will continue to find new opportunities to grow these connections.

Singapore as a Global Node

9.          Second, Singapore must continue to offer itself as a key node in global supply chains. The Honourable Member, Mr Sharael Taha asked how MOT is strengthening the long-term competitiveness of our maritime sector.

10.        The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, or MPA, is developing the Maritime Singapore Master Plan. It will be a future-focused industry-wide blueprint to guide the sector’s development over the next few decades. It aims to:

a.          Strengthen Singapore’s competitiveness as a key node and hub port;

b.          Enhance Singapore’s attractiveness as an International Maritime Centre;

c.           Establish Singapore as a global leader in maritime innovation, including in Artificial Intelligence, and

d.          Develop a future-ready maritime workforce.

11.        We will not develop the Master Plan alone. Over the next few months, MPA will set up a local industry panel comprising key business leaders to gather insights, as we engage Unions and the public. MPA aims to formalise the Master Plan by 2027.

12.       To be a node is to provide many points of entry, as well as to spark synergies among those already here. We are growing Singapore as a centre for maritime technology, innovation and R&D.

13.       As mentioned by the Acting Minister for Transport, we are also investing in the capabilities and capacity of our port. Ms Tin Pei Ling asked for an update on Tuas Port’s development and how it will boost Singapore’s competitiveness. Reclamation works for Phase 2 are close to 80% complete, and planning for Phase 3 is underway. When completed in the 2040s, Tuas Port will have a capacity of 65m TEUs, and be the world’s largest fully-automated container terminal. This will further secure Singapore’s connectivity to the world and our competitiveness as a trusted node for international shipping..

14.       Over the next few decades, we will continue to refine the design of Tuas Port, to meet new needs as our operating environment changes. This is the benefit of the phased approach we have adopted for the development of Tuas Port.

15.       As one of the world’s busiest ports, Singapore is also a useful testbed and living laboratory for those seeking to trial innovative maritime solutions in a realistic operating environment.

16.       MPA will introduce a new innovation track under the Maritime Cluster Fund Business Development scheme, to better support companies to deepen their technological and innovation capabilities here. Under the scheme, companies establishing innovation and technology desks or corporate venture capital functions here can receive funding and increased access to R&D expertise and regulatory support. This will help to position Singapore as a global node for talent, ideas and capital.

Our People as Navigators

17.        I recently met Mr Nicholas Brabeck, Managing Director of Everllence Singapore. Everllence is one of the shipping industry's main engine makers. I was heartened to hear that Everllence had chosen to set up its largest service hub outside of Europe here – not only because of Singapore’s infrastructure as well as strategic location, but also due to our skilled and resilient workforce, both onshore and at sea.

18.        We will continue to ensure graduates and workers are well-equipped to seize the many well-paying opportunities in this sector. Some of these roles may be unfamiliar to most Singaporeans. But they are good jobs. For example, onshore maritime roles include Ship Charterers and Ship Brokers, who earned competitive median gross wages of approximately S$10,000 in 2024, and Marine and Technical Superintendents, who drew median gross wages ranging from S$8,000 to S$13,000 from 2021 to 2024.

19.        In fact, the maritime industry is not just for those who sail, but for many who work on land. One such person is Ms Divika Gill whom I met several weeks earlier. She joined the sector about three months ago after graduating from Singapore Polytechnic. She is now a fitter, an understated description in the maritime world referring to a highly skilled technician supporting engineering operations and upholding the highest safety standards to make vessels ocean-worthy. She aspires to be a marine engineer. She is among a growing group of women who find meaning and purpose in a maritime career.

20.        Mr Sharael Taha also asked how we are creating a pipeline of skilled Singaporeans.

21.        First, we will continue to invest in maritime talent. In line with feedback from companies, MPA is streamlining the requirements of the Maritime Cluster Fund Management Associate scheme and updating the programme to keep up with the latest practices in talent development. Through these refinements, smaller firms, including SMEs, would be able to create structured professional development opportunities for their employees. MPA will also increase opportunities for Management Associates to rotate across different maritime roles and for longer, to build greater depth and expertise. This will groom young professionals early by broadening their understanding of the maritime value chain.

22.        Second, we want to prepare Singaporeans to take on leadership roles in the maritime sector. As maritime is global in nature, maritime leaders will need to have experience and capabilities running international operations and managing cross-cultural teams. This is why we are launching a new Maritime Cluster Fund Global Rotation scheme. The scheme provides grants to companies to co-fund the overseas deployments of local middle managers, to equip them with the competencies to take on supervisory roles.

23.        But attracting top talent into the maritime sector, and keeping them, is not just a matter of Government making policies top down – it has to be done in close partnership with our industry players, Unions and Institutes of Higher Learning..

24.        The maritime sector’s track record of supporting committed individuals through scholarships and internships is a testament to the importance the industry places on talent development.

25.        In fact, if Members were to look up to my right, there are several scholarship recipients from the Singapore Maritime Foundation, accompanied by the Chairman of the Singapore Maritime Foundation Mr. Hor Weng Yew, here with us in in Parliament today. They are drawn from different backgrounds, including the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and polytechnics, and their scholarships are sponsored by various maritime companies and organizations. I hope their example will inspire a new generation of young Singaporeans to take up the challenge and transform the maritime sector.

26.        I recently met Captain Lee Cheng Wee, who first joined the maritime sector in the early 1970s. Captain Lee had applied to be a harbour pilot then, thinking that he would get to fly over Singapore’s waters. Boy was he wrong – he found out that it was actually a sea-based job! But while his entry into the maritime sector was accidental, he has forged an enduring career in the maritime sector. He served as our Port Master from 2008 to 2013.

27.        Across the decades, Captain Lee has seen the growth of our port and maritime ecosystem. For him, the close working relationship between industry and Unions has been the critical ingredient that allowed Maritime Singapore to grow and for new jobs to be created.

28.        Views like Captain Lee’s are important in telling us what tripartism means in real life. Alongside industry stakeholders, Unions, and the public, we will continue to set our collective ambition for the maritime sector, and ensure that our maritime workforce is ready to chart the next bound.

Technology

29.        Last, we will use technology to help each one of us in the maritime sector do more, and create rewarding jobs.

30.        To do this, MPA will expand trials of Unmanned Surface Vessels (or USVs for short) later this year. The USVs will operate autonomously while retaining the capability for remote piloting when required. They will leverage AI sensors and real-time data transmission to enhance MPA’s operational effectiveness in maritime surveillance and hydrographic operations. This also reduces personnel exposure to dangerous conditions, and he manpower freed up can be channelled to other growth areas.

31.        Last year, MPA launched the Singapore Maritime Digital Twin, a dynamic virtual model of our port. I am happy to announce that MPA will be extending this Digital Twin to bring onboard industry partners, who can test their new products and services to better deliver marine services to port users. Two use cases will be piloted this year: the first will optimise ship supply services for vessels calling at Singapore, and the second will enhance incident response and emergency preparedness to situations such as oil spills.

32.        We welcome companies to work together with us to build their applications and simulation models using the Digital Twin, including AI-related applications.

33.        As we adopt such new technologies, we will continue to put in place appropriate safeguards to address risks that may arise. As part of these efforts, MPA has introduced programmes to strengthen cybersecurity training, including using a shipboard technology testbed to train vessel traffic management officers.

34.        Mr Chairman, the seas have always been the place for innovation. In maritime lore, Moby Dick is often cited as a cautionary tale – that one must not be dogmatic and vainglorious like Captain Ahab, but be flexible and a survivor like Ishmael.

35.        But to me, Moby Dick is also full of revelations about the science of navigation and the role of technology in seafaring – it is hard for us to imagine now, but at the time of writing, the ability to establish precise longitudes for mariners was just 90 years old.

36.        It was John Harrison’s invention of the chronometer, highly accurate even at sea, that allowed longitudes to be plotted and journeys to be precise enough to chase a nimble whale.

37.        Likewise, Singapore must remain alive to the transformational power of new technologies, to master new tasks and chart new journeys through untested waters. The old ways are gone, and now is the time for new navigators with our own chronometers.

Conclusion

38.        Mr Chairman, even as clouds hang overhead, even as the waves rise, Maritime Singapore can continue to ride the waves of change, if we have strong partners across the world, if we strengthen our position as a trusted node, if we prepare our people, and if we open our eyes to the power of technology.

39.        Most importantly, we can do this if we remember our history as an island nation. The seas have marked our destiny in trade and commerce, and has given us a particular prosperity – a prosperity that can remain ours, as long as we take heart to preserve and grow, our courage and ability to navigate the high seas.

40.        Thank you.