Malaysia’s shipbuilding and ship repair (SBSR) industry faces challenges related to a shortage of local skilled labor, driven in part by a reliance on foreign workers to meet production and repair demands. Dr. Zaimi Zainal Mukhtar, head of Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL-Mimet), highlighted the urgent need to develop a domestic workforce equipped with practical shipyard skills, digital expertise, and relevant international certifications.
According to the Malaysian SBSR Industry Report 2025/2026, published in May 2025, a major issue confronting local shipyards is a disconnect between the skills imparted by educational institutions and the competencies required by the industry. For example, some graduates in naval architecture lack essential capabilities for ship design roles. Malaysia currently hosts around 99 registered shipyards capable of constructing and servicing vessels up to 30,000 deadweight tonnage, underscoring the sector’s significant size and potential.
Dr. Zaimi emphasized that the industry’s competitiveness hinges on a skilled labor force supported by automation and digitalization, combined with training programs tailored to actual shipyard needs. He called for closer collaboration between universities, polytechnics, maritime training centers, and industry players to address skills gaps and regularly update curricula. Key focus areas should encompass the full spectrum of SBSR activities, shipping, logistics and marine support services, aligning with Malaysia’s broader industrial development goals.
He proposed establishing a formal skills certification framework covering essential trades such as welding, marine electrical work, piping, non-destructive testing, ship inspection, design, marine automation, and repair. This would provide clearer competency standards and support career advancement. As industry technologies evolve, workforce capabilities must also expand to include 3D modeling, digital ship design, robotics, automated welding, digital twin platforms, and smart maintenance systems. Dr. Zaimi stressed that automation is intended to enhance, rather than replace, the skilled workforce.
Beyond seafarers and ratings, a robust maritime talent pipeline requires a diverse range of professionals, including naval architects, marine engineers, designers, fabricators, electricians, automation specialists, project managers, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) experts. Dr. Zaimi urged Malaysia to broaden its conception of maritime careers to encompass this complete ecosystem of roles essential for vessel design, construction and operation.
He identified several factors contributing to the local talent shortage, including negative perceptions of shipyard work as hazardous, labor-intensive and low-paid, as well as competition from sectors like oil and gas, automotive, aerospace, electronics, semiconductors and information technology. While acknowledging that traditional shipyard environments may have shaped these views, he advocated for reframing the industry narrative to highlight its high-technology engineering and manufacturing dimension.
However, improving public perception alone will not suffice. The industry must enhance workplace safety, conditions, welfare, training opportunities, wages, career development and professional recognition to attract and retain young workers. Dr. Zaimi noted that poor experiences in the sector can undermine retention efforts.
He called on industry stakeholders, educational institutions and government agencies to collaborate in developing the talent pipeline, beginning at the school level. Introducing students early to the full range of maritime career paths beyond seafaring can help build interest in professions such as naval architecture, marine engineering, fabrication, automation, MRO and maritime technology entrepreneurship.
Ultimately, these efforts aim to reduce Malaysia’s dependence on imported skilled labor while boosting productivity, advancing technology adoption, and enabling the country to undertake higher-value shipbuilding, repair, MRO and vessel conversion activities.