00:01Navy Chief Admiral Tan Sri Dr. Zulhelmi Ithnain said the Royal Malaysian Navy is set to accelerate seabed mapping efforts
00:08through the acquisition of two survey motor launches, approved under Budget 2027.
00:13He said the acquisition was approved under the second rolling plan of the 13th Malaysia Plan, but the procurement process
00:20had yet to begin.
00:44He said this after officiating the SEABED 2030 Indo-Pacific Ocean Mapping Meeting and a Data Sprint 2026 in Kuala
00:53Lumpur on Tuesday.
00:53He said the SEABED 2030 report showed that only 28.7% of the world's seabed had been mapped to
01:01modern standards, while more than 70% remained inadequately mapped.
01:05He said the shortfall had implications for scientific research, development and security, underscoring the need for Malaysia to strengthen its
01:13national hydrographic capabilities.