Malacca Strait: A Black Shadow Running Through the Narrow Strait, the Artery of the World Shaken in the 1990s

Malacca Strait: A Black Shadow Running Through the Narrow Strait, the Artery of the World Shaken in the 1990s
The Strait of Malacca is the world's most important international shipping lane between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, and more than 200 vessels pass through the strait every day, which is extremely narrow at two points and eight kilometers at its narrowest point. The narrowest part of the strait is two points eight kilometers long, and more than 200 vessels pass through it each day. The large number of tankers and cargo ships that come and go through this narrow sea area served as an artery that supported Asian economic growth in the 1990s. The tidal currents are complex and there are many shoals, and the slightest lapse in navigational judgment can lead to a collision, and if an oil spill were to occur, it would spread throughout the strait and cause extensive environmental damage.

The Asian economic crisis of 1997 hit shipping companies hard, causing them to put off inspections and repairs, and the increase in the number of old vessels and flag-of-convenience vessels greatly compromised safety. The web-based reports of the time also pointed out the inconsistency of management standards as a background to the high number of accidents. The number of accidents led to the redevelopment of the route separation system, the strengthening of radar surveillance, and the establishment of a joint supervision system among the three coastal states, but the overcrowding itself was not resolved, and the fragility of the sea area remained. The Strait of Malacca is a symbolic place that reflects the benefits and dangers of global shipping at the same time.