Virtual platform
Kuala Lumpur, 26 – 30 July 2021
The Centre for Coastal and Marine Environment MIMA successfully completed the second session of a week-long inaugural virtual Training Programme on Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) from 26 – 30 July 2021, as part of the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP).
The MTCP, which is under the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Malaysia, was launched in 1980 to signify Malaysia’s commitment to South-South Cooperation, in particular, Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC). Since then, Malaysia continues to play an active role in realising its commitment to share its developmental experiences and expertise by providing various human capacity building programmes and technical assistance to 144 developing countries under the South-South cooperation framework, which have benefited more than 34,000 participants to date.
This 5 days training has drew foreign participants from Iran, India, Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka. The goal of the programme was to share Malaysia’s experience and expertise with MTCP recipient nations. In addition to MIMA internal resources, the programme featured external resources and experts from local academia, non-governmental organisations, and state governments who shared their vast knowledge and experience on CMSP implementation on the ground with participants.
The virtual training programme was officiated by MIMA’s Director-General Datuk Dr Sabirin Ja’afar, with a warm welcome to all the international participants.
Siti Aishah Kamarul Abdul Wahid, representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia, welcomed all participants to the virtual training programme
The Opening Session was followed by the showcase of MIMA new corporate video.
The 5-day workshop provided an overview of the CMSP planning process. In summary, these processes involve identifying and assembling the enabling environment; defining the process’s area of focus, establishing and weighing management goals; and managing the coastal and marine environment and resources. It also involves identifying, characterising, and managing stakeholder involvement as well as their areas of conflict and compatibility; and identifying and choosing management methods for controlling particular uses in the management area. This training introduced CMSP to participants to improve their planning and practical decision-making through the application of CMSP.
Participants interacting during the training programme.
They were especially interested in the CMSP application’s success in the Semporna region of Sabah. Participants were also interested in the application in the context of coastal management in Terengganu and specific species conservation measures proposed in Malaysia’s Johor seas. They were particularly interested in the significance of CMSP on regional and international platforms and the efforts made by various intergovernmental platforms to promote CMSP as the preferred management tool.
As part of the event, participants were also given the opportunity to share their views on CMSP acceptance, implementation status, and plans in their respective nations. They benefited from Malaysian expertise, which would help them develop and carry out administrative duties more successfully in their countries.
Case studies from different areas in Malaysia were discussed in detail during the programme.
In addition to the respective Country Presentations, the training session also introduced the application of a suitable online app to gauge real-time perspectives from participants for in-depth discussion and comprehension of understanding of the key topics that were introduced.
The participants were also given an opportunity throughout the programme to share their perspectives via the online app for a more interactive discussion.
Snapshots of the Country Presentations delivered by the participants
At the conclusion of the event, Nur’ Amirah Mohamad, representative from MOFA, delivered the Closing Remarks. She extended the Ministry’s best wishes and appreciation to the participants and further encouraged them to keep in touch through the official network created by the programme as well as with the Malaysian Embassies abroad.
Overall, participants’ feedback was favourable and encouraging. The training enhanced the participants’ competency and provided them with better insight into planning and effective decision-making through CMSP. Moreover, the information sharing and exchanging sessions among participants from various countries had ultimately contributed to the strengthened cooperation among them.
MIMA looks forward to playing a pivotal role in continued engagements to better promote Malaysia’s success story through the application of CMSP.
