Strait of Malacca in the spotlight amid Hormuz tensions: Why it is crucial to global shipping
The disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has brought renewed attention to the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest maritime corridors
The disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has brought renewed attention to the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest maritime corridors that carries more than a fifth of global seaborne trade. The narrow waterway between Malaysia and Indonesia, linking the Indian and Pacific oceans via Singapore, has emerged as a critical link in global supply chains as vessels alter routes amid tensions in the Middle East. According to thesun.my, industry experts say the Strait of Malacca is already experiencing spillover effects from disruptions in both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, although Malaysian ports have so far managed the additional traffic. Route changes add pressure, but ports coping Mohamed Safwan Othman, president of the Malaysia Shipowners' Association, as quoted by thesun.my, said rerouted vessels are putting additional pressure on one of the world's most important shipping lanes. "The spillover effect must be taken into account as vessels are forced to change course. This will cause congestion at ports, which must be handled by port operators to ensure cargo movement is not disrupted," Safwan was quoted a saying by the news outlet. He reportedly added that both the Red Sea crisis and the latest tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have resulted in more ships changing course. "However, the congestion that occurred has been managed well by ports in Malaysia," he said. Safwan noted that around US$7 trillion worth of trade passes through the Strait of Malacca annually, making it central to Malaysia's shipping industry and Asian commerce. Strategic gateway connecting East and West According to the news outlet, Safwan said the strait's geographical advantage lies in providing the shortest and most efficient sea route connecting China, Japan and South Korea with markets in India, Africa and Europe. He highlighted the importance of Malaysian ports such as Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas, which depend on uninterrupted shipping services. Safwan also stressed that cooperation between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore remains vital for maintaining navigational safety, environmental protection and emergency preparedness, including responses to oil spills. 'Malacca is not an alternative to Hormuz' Separately, Mohammad Khairuddin Othman, research fellow at the Universiti Utara Malaysia Asian Institute of International Affairs and Diplomacy, as quoted by thesun.my said the Strait of Malacca should not be viewed as a replacement for the Strait of Hormuz.
Instead, he described it as Asia's second major maritime chokepoint in the region's energy and trade supply chain. "The Strait of Malacca is more accurately seen as the second chokepoint in the energy and trade supply chain to Asia. A large portion of oil passing through Hormuz would continue its voyage through Malacca before reaching consumer countries," he told thesun.my. Khairuddin explained that while Hormuz serves as the principal export route for Gulf crude oil and liquefied natural gas, Malacca acts as the corridor carrying those shipments onward to East Asian markets. Higher congestion could raise accident risks According to news outlet, Khairuddin warned that uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz could force shipping operators to adjust schedules, slow vessels or wait for updated security assessments, leading to unpredictable arrival patterns in the Strait of Malacca. "This could cause vessel arrival patterns in the Strait of Malacca to become uncertain, increasing congestion at certain times, especially along major shipping lanes and key ports." He reportedly cautioned that increased traffic in the waterway's limited navigation space could heighten the risks of vessel collisions, navigational accidents and oil spills. Call for stronger maritime surveillance Khairuddin also said the Strait of Malacca continues to face security threats, including illegal ship-to-ship transfers, sea robbery and smuggling, despite significant improvements in maritime security over the past two decades through joint patrols. He urged Malaysia to strengthen its Maritime Domain Awareness by expanding real-time monitoring and information sharing. According to thesun.my, he recommended greater use of technologies such as the Automatic Identification System (AIS), coastal surveillance radar, Vessel Traffic Management Systems, maritime drones, satellite monitoring and remote sensing, alongside deeper operational cooperation with Indonesia and Singapore. He emphasized that safeguarding Asia's energy flows increasingly depends on the resilience of the entire maritime supply chain rather than the security of a single chokepoint. What is Strait of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a 900-km (550-mile) waterway between Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore that provides the shortest maritime route linking East Asia with the Middle East and Europe. As one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, it serves as a critical corridor for global trade and energy supplies. At its narrowest point in the Phillips Channel within the Singapore Strait, the channel is just 1.7 miles (2.7 km) wide, creating a natural bottleneck for maritime traffic.
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