11 March 2010
A Stakeholders' Roundtable was held on 11 March 2010 at MIMA during which the institute's researchers presented their research projects for 2010. The meeting gathered 27 representatives from various agencies and organisations who are key beneficiaries of the research conducted by the research centres at MIMA. They include Prime Minister's Department, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Malaysia Industrial Development Authority, Royal Malaysian Police, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Royal Malaysian Navy, port operating companies, port authorities and the academia. The main objective of this annual roundtable is to provide MIMA with the opportunity to engage its stakeholders via a consultative process in ensuring the relevance of its research projects.
In his welcoming remarks, MIMA Director General Dr. Pola Singh stressed the importance of a public policy institute like MIMA to directly consulting the stakeholders in ensuring that its research projects are specific, measureable, relevant and timely. These are key attributes in policy research that will help towards fulfilling MIMA's aspiration of serving its stakeholders efficiently. Dr. Pola said that good policy research could go a long way towards assisting Malaysia to advance its maritime interests.
Being a research institute in a dynamic and complex field such as maritime, it is crucial for MIMA to constantly engage its stakeholders to keep itself abreast of the latest issues and developments in the maritime realm. By doing so, MIMA can identify priority areas which require policy intervention to serve the interests of its stakeholders, the public and the nation at large.
In attaining its lofty ambition to become the 'go to' institute in key areas pertaining to the maritime field, MIMA is committed to deliver research products which are specific, measureable, action-oriented, relevant and timely. MIMA will continue to build and improve its research capacity towards attaining this objective. However, MIMA is aware that it cannot do this on its own. It needs the support, feedback and advice of its stakeholders to enable the institute to conduct research that addresses their concerns and meets national aspirations.
