EDITED 2018 : THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF CHANGES IN REGULATION AND ALSO SOME OF THE INFO MIGHT NOT BE ACCURATE DUE TO ME WRITING THIS ARTICLE IN MY JUNIOR YEAR. I'D LIKE TO WARN EVERYONE. NEVER STUDY SEAFARER RELATED COURSES WITH LOAN/PTPTN/OWN MONEY (UNLESS YOU'RE FRICKING RICH). WITHOUT SPONSORSHIP, YOU WILL FIND IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SECURE CADETSHIP AND ALSO GETTING YOUR FIRST JOB. COUPLED WITH OIL PRICE GLUT AND COMPETITION FROM CHEAP FOREIGN LABOR, LOCAL SEAFARER FUTURE IN THE INDUSTRY SEEMS BLEAK. EVEN THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AND EXPERIENCED SEAFARER ARE FACING DIFFICULTY FINDING JOB. AND SOME OF MY JUNIORS HAVE BEEN JOBLESS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

VERSION 2 : https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?act=ST&f...0#entry45401611

Hello everybody!

Since my last topic was closed because i mistakely make it look like an advertisement, so, I decided to open a new topic regarding career as a seafarer.

I'd like to introduce myself. I'm a student in Akademi Laut Malaysia(ALAM). I took diploma in marine engineering. The purpose i want to encourage more Malaysian into this industry is because we are currently lack of seafarer. Imagine, out of 6000 seafarers in malaysia, only 1000 are malaysians. The rest are foreigner.



First of all, what is seafarer?

-Seafarer is a person who carries various duties onboard ships. They will sail with the ship in order to transport goods that the customer want us to deliver.

-Btw, I'm just a student. And I only familiar with Marine Engineering and Nautical Course. Diploma of course. But if you have any doubts about this career. You can ask here. I'll try my best to answer it.

Where can I study the courses?

Right now, in Malaysia, there are three institutions of higher learning that provide sea-going course. Bare in mind that not all maritime related courses can ensure you to go sailing thus ensuring you to get the big bucks.

For example, in UMT, there are course called Degree in Nautical Studies & Maritime Management. They cannot sail as an officer unless they go for the cadetship practical onboard a ship.

Thats all, now I'll proceed into the institution part. There are few places to studies to prepare oneself to become sea-going officer/engineer.

1) Akademi Laut Malaysia(ALAM)
-Diploma in Marine Engineering(DNS)
-Diploma in Nautical Studies(DME)
-Marine Engineering Bridging Program(MEBP)*

2)Politeknik Ungku Omar
-Diploma in Marine Engineering

3)Sarawak Maritime Academy
-not sure about this. since they're just open this year


*for the Marine Engineering Bridging Program, the program just started this year. The cadets sponsored for this course are engineering related degree graduates. They are sponsored by MISC. If you miss the chance to apply during post-spm, but still want to pursue career onboard ship. You can apply this course. Btw, I'm not sure how to apply for it. But you can ask here and I can ask the bridging student about it.

*NOWADAYS, THERE ARE ALSO COMPANY SEEKING FOR MECHANICAL/MARINE ENGINEERING DEGREE GRADUATE TO DO THEIR CADETSHIP FOR 6 MONTH ONBOARD THEIR SHIP. AFTER COLLECTING SEATIME, THEY CAN TAKE THE ORAL TEST FROM MARDEP FOR CLASS 4 COC. I'LL TRY TO GET MORE INFO ABOUT THIS.

Benefits of becoming a SEAFARER

1) Rewarding career. Cheapest pay is around rm7500 for fresh graduates of diploma. Imagine that. In my place of study, there were also company headhunting by offering salary of USD4800.

2) Experience gained make it easier for you to apply job on oil platform since you have an offshore working experience.

3) can save a lot of money. onboard ship, no need car. no need to pay rental for accommodation. free meal(every week can eat western). no need money to go to gym. onboard ship, gym is provided. got tv, some ship have internet facilities. some got pool/snooker table.

many more... I'll tell you guys later on.

Definition Of Marine Engineering



Something about MEBP program. this article i've taken from sombody blog. it is written in BM. hope you guys can understand it.



Definition of Nautical Studies

will be added later....

Department & Rank...

credit to dukerobin for this pic.



Salaries for seafarer. So you don't have any doubt about it anymore. This is from 1 company. others i'm not sure. should be more or same as this.

Min Salary + allowance. no income tax.



__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Educational Section. Past year question. if you've any latest past year question, please give it to me as I will put it in the 1st pst as a reference.

Past Year Oral Question For Class 4 Certificate of Competency, Motor (2005)(credit to senior ricky)


_________________________________________________________________________________

Edited: just added this cause i think it is useful. coz i think most of visitors here might be from degree grad. this might be useful. I'm not promoting. just that many might not realise this opportunity.



This post has been edited by destroyer: Mar 26 2018, 07:08 PM

How come the Filipinos never have to take all those courses before they become seafairers??

BTW, Filipinos make much better seafairers because they can tahan really horrendous working condition than most.

This post has been edited by convivencia: Dec 27 2008, 07:41 PM

that's rating/crew.

they are not officer/engineer.

just a normal sailor.

who said that they don't take any courses. unless they're sailing with tongkang,fisherman, etc. In maritime world nowadays, if you want to sail onboard you'll need modular certificate. they do take courses, just that it is not diploma or whatsoever. it's RATING/CREW course. they also got maritime academy for the maritime related courses.

who said only filipinos be the best seafarers. 3 filipino cadets were dismissed from the course in ALAM because they fight with the pakistan cadet.

malaysian seafarer also good la... we can also withstand all those horrible working condition.

there's no difference between countries where seafarers come from. all is same. the thing that determine whether one is the best or not is oneself.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Dec 27 2008, 08:35 PM

Interesting, but I'm just curious, how's the hiring rate like in Malaysia for seafarers? Assuming it's mainly for trade vessels (oil tankers etc), are there shortages for people interested in this career?

1. Now to be very... money-minded, what's the pay scale like? From fresh grad to 10 years exp, how much can the salary move?

2. Also, what is the lifestyle like? Assuming they sail from one side of the world to another, how much rest days do they have?

hoho. I'll try my best in answering your question.

In ALAM, all cadets are sponsored by major shipping companies. Except for those who re-enter my batch because they failed(less than 1.7cgpa) in their final sem exam. Sponsored cadets are bonded with contract. That's mean 100% employed. For the JPA, Felda, and self-paid cadets, they were quickly headhunted by companies before they graduated.

in politeknik ungku omar also the cadets are 100%employed if i'm not mistaken. Not sure about this cause i'm not from this institution.

for the paying scale, the one that I provide is based from what my companies paid.

4th engineer/ 3rd officer: USD2300
3rd engineer/ 2nd officer: USD 3500
2nd engineer/ chief officer: USD 5000
Chief engineer/captain: USD 9000-15000


this is the lowest pay you can find on the market.

other companies such as QatarGas from what i heard, pay as much as USD 25000-30000 for chief engineer/captain.


about lifestyle huh? i'm not sure about this because i haven't done my practical onboard ship yet. but i can tell you based from information i got from m senior. we don't have days off that's is why we were paid with leave pay.

working time
cadet: 6hours on, 6hours off.
others i don't know
chief engineer: 4 hours on, 8 hours off.

sailing time
cadet: 9-11month for engine cadet. 12month for deck cadet
4th engineer/officer: 6month on, 3month off.
chief/captain: 4month on, 4month off

This post has been edited by destroyer: Dec 27 2008, 09:05 PM

Anyway, is it possible for you to provide a timeline?

Say, a school leaver leaves after SPm at 17, then he starts your course, by when do you expect him to come out working?

Also, what are the risks/drawbacks of working in this line? (given the good pay, i suppose there are some risks and drawbacks)

of course. you'll graduate at the age of 21(if you enter the academy on 17 of ages(around july the same year you receive your spm result) . around 6-8 years if you study hard, you'll get your Class 1 Certificate of Competency(required to be chief engineer or captain). In order to be captain/chief, it depends on your performance. normal people require 8-10 years of working. abnormal people require 6-8 years. it depends on you performance. but most

meanwhile, let me explain about what is Certificate of Competency(COC) is. it is a certificate that you can acquire from MARDEP(marine department) by passing several written test and oral exam. Not to forget that if you got the Class 1 COC, you can also grab Bachelor of Engineering title along with the COC. no need to take additional degree courses because you have to study back the thermodynamic, applied mech, etc to sit for the written test. in other words. that Class 1 COC is equivalent to degree. but it is general engineering degree. that is why it is called B.Eng . You can search for the author of a book named Basic Engineering Thermodynamics. The author is Rayner Joel. and he is formerly an Chief Engineer onboard a ship.

well. enough of COC for now. let's proceed to the drawback or risk.

1) exposure towards dangerous chemical/cargo that is lethal if not handled properly.
2) sinking.
3) away from family.
4) PIRATES
5) if you're sailing through a war zone, the country might attack your ship.
6) any risk you can think of.

that's why we are paid high. because of our lyf and because of the risk.

the greater the risk, the higher the pay. If your ship sail through war zone, you'll be paid 10 TIMES of your current salary. haha.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Dec 27 2008, 09:48 PM

can you please explain about marine engineering bridging program(MEBP)
and how to apply.....

marine engineering bridging program(MEBP)

they are sponsored by MISC

requires degree in engineering(i think they prefer mechanical, but there's one guy with mechatronic). most of them come from wide range of university. some from unikl, utp, utm, utem, ump, etc... I'm not sure what CGPA they needed. I'll try to clarify this later on coz now i'm at home.


how to apply: from what i heard, they apply it through advertisement in a newspaper. i'll also clarify this later on.

there is one guys in the MEBP course. he is UTP graduate in mechanical engineering. age almost 30. formerly work with petronas with a salary of rm6000. dunno why he choose this field. hak3.

competition to enter this course currently is not very tough. from what i heard, only 40+ people vome to the interview. and only 30 got to be selected. maybe not yet famous cause the course just being introduced this year.

btw, let me provide some "sweetener" in this industry. this is one of the cheapest pay you can find.

4th engineer(the position you hold after you grad from diploma)(freshie)
basic-3900
fleet allow-1300
tanker allow-390
medical allow-150
leave pay-1950

leave pay 15 days...

if i'm not mistaken, when you're not sailing(sign off), they'll only pay you basic.

______________________________________________________________________

btw, those who are interested in management in maritime industry, you can apply through this web. It is for management trainee position.


MANAGEMENT TRAINEE PROGRAMME

The Person:

Fresh graduates with an Honours degree (Minimum CGPA of 3.00) in the following disciplines:

· Naval Architecture
· Engineering – Marine, Mechanical, Electrical, Structural and Civil
· Business Administration / Social Science / Psychology
· Accounting / Finance
· Transport & Logistics / Maritime Management
· Law / Legal Studies
· Economics

Candidates with 1 to 2 years of working experience with any of the above qualifications are also encouraged to apply.

Special Requirements:

Demonstrates a positive mindset and attitude.
Has effective leadership qualities and is seen as a role model.
Result-oriented with good interpersonal and communication skills.
Active involvement in extra-curricular activities in university or school.
Proficient in Bahasa Malaysia and English (both spoken & written).

The Programme:
The main focus is to prepare the candidates for the working environment by emphasizing on Leadership Qualities, Capability Development and Business Exposure.

Candidates will be exposed to MISC businesses in various departments and in subsidiary companies located in Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley and Pasir Gudang.

The 9 months training programme will cover:

Generic Programme for Management Trainee
On the Job Training/Learning
Executive Career Development Program
Mentoring
Attachment onboard foreign-going vessels.

For those who meet the requirements and have a strong desire to take up the challenge, click now to apply.


link: http://misc.com.my/career_startcareer_managementtrainee.php


This post has been edited by destroyer: Dec 28 2008, 02:47 PM

thanks for the info, appreciate it.. but does this apply more to the career thread or here?

I think more on education. Because it is more on the path to become seafarer like path of studies.

btw, 1st post edited. management trainee info added.

---

Added on December 28, 2008, 4:28 pmadded more on the 1st post.

benefits of becoming seafarer.

can save a lot of money. onboard ship, no need car. no need to pay rental for accommodation. free meal(every week can eat western). no need money to go to gym. onboard ship, gym is provided.

entertainment.

got tv, some ship have internet facilities. some got pool/snooker table. swimming pool.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Dec 28 2008, 04:28 PM

Yeah, I personally agree that it is more appropriate to be in education essential, furthermore, this line seems to be one that prefers someone who started out right after SPM, and the EE crowd tends to be much younger than the Jobs/Career one, so I think it's more effective here.

those who is interested to enter this career line and still doubtful about it, you can ask here or PM me. btw, to enter ALAM and get the sponsorship, you'll have to pass interview and written test.

my tips for the written test. be sure not to forget all those math+addmath and physic and some english. the question will be based on all these three subjects. passing mark from what i heard is 60%. btw, in ALAM, there is no quota in selection. all races got almost equal number. majorities of the student here are malays and indians. got quite huge number of chinese also. but not many since not many of chinese applied for it. during the interview also only small numbers come.

for the interview info you can ask here. i'll try my best to help.

for politeknik, there is no interview or written test. they just select from application. but place in politeknik is very limited. cause they're not taking many people into this course. fees also very cheap in politeknik. rm260 for 1 sem including hostel. without hostel rm200. meals also provided. I'm not sure whether politeknik student got sponsorship or not. I'll try to clarify this out with poli students.

---

Added on December 28, 2008, 9:05 pmokay. I've already asked. for those studying in PUO. some might get sponsorship while some might not. for those who don't get, you can try ptptn loan. because PUO student was not bonded by a contract, they often accepted into better paying companies. like tanjung offshore, emas offshore, and many more.

---

Added on December 29, 2008, 8:06 ambtw, i'm going back to hostel today. any question/doubt you can leave it here. I'll try my best to answer.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Dec 29 2008, 08:06 AM

i just finish my dip in elctrnic can i apply for MEBP?

I applied last time.
And get sponsored by BumiArmada.
But i rejected , as my family said

1)Tough and rough job
2)My family said, They afraid i cannot, and quit then need to pay more cause under sponsorship,
3)Need to work for BumiArmada for a period , which maybe I cannot complete due some reason , then i also need pay them alot.
4)Risky.
5)Family said , im STPM graduated , wasted if go for diploma that offered.

But now doing my degree, and upon complete my degree.
I think my salary is around 2k only =="
Swt. And I heard that any country in worldwide lacking of seafarer.
In Europe and some country, they offer a VERY nice benefits working for them.

rm3900 basic for fresh DIPLOMA?DIPLOMA???i want to quit my job now and take this course.

@helloofmind: Its a offshores job bro. The salary will be higher than any others job in msia i think, unless be own boss of business, or CEO.

Normal seafarer , one day salary on offshores , is around 150+- and above. If 150x30=4500. Without OT + other allowances.

If been promote higher rank is sure more than this. It will multiply.
With more experiences and high rank, I don think salary more 15k is not impossible. This apply in msia, But if other country,haha perhap it is more than that.
That is why I thinking make a wrong decision o not after rejected the sponsorship.

@kimm
-MEBP only take degree grads. You can try to apply to any shipping company for the Electrical Engineer Officer. company that sponsored me pays about USD5000++ for electrical eng officer.

@equinox
-BumiArmada pay quite high salary. higher than i mentioned here. They often work on supply boat or offshore support vessel.

@Helloofmind
-maybe you can try apply if you're not more than 21 years old. But if you're more than that ages, you can try to apply for politeknik ungku omar.

For your info, i'm sponsored by not so big shipping company. the highest pays that Chief Engineer can get is around USD15700(including allowance) in my company. Some company even pay USD4000 for fresh diploma grads. Yup! it's true that we're lacking of seafarer worldwide.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Dec 30 2008, 02:39 PM

hi destroyer, im really interested to become a seafarer. My teacher also did recomend us to join ALAM after spm. But ive no idea where to start, i;ll have to wait for spm result came out only can apply right? Hows the interview, i heard its quite difficult to passed right? Im really determined to sailed ^^

destroyer plz give me list of shipping cmpany that should i apply for that post....i really wanna be a seafarer...plz help me.......

i am also interested... i am a fresh grad in mec eng. is it possible that i apply for a job there?

@silverchain

-you can apply for ALAM after got your spm result. They normally advertise it after spm results are out. during my years, applicants should send their application before 31st March 2007. they advertise it for 3 days straight on local newspaper(at that time I found out about it on The Star newspaper). Or you can get the form from alam website.

- after your application form have been accepted(i recommend you to send it using Pos Express). You'll be called for interview and written test around end of April until mid May. My tips, don't forget all the stuff you've learn during your SPM years. because in the written test, they'll test 3 main subjects which is English, Math+add math, and physic. Last year only i was told that there were more than 7000++ applicants. They accept only around 400+ cadets for both courses offered. The hardest part is the induction program. Very2 tiring... be willing to work hard for whole week.

you can also apply for politeknik. they take only very2 limited number of students. difference between this 2 institutes is. in PUO you need 3 1/2 years to complete. in ALAM only 3 years.

@kimm

-the shipping company that will sponsored you will be determined by alam management. Depends on your luck if they give you any shipping companies. But all students will get the sponsorship.

@SeLrAhC

- you can apply for the MEBP program. right now, I cannot give you further detail about MEBP prog since the MEBP students are not back from their holiday yet.

- some of the MEBP students are fresh grad and some already have work experience.

- For the MEBP prog, you'll do 1 year of study in alam to get your degree into marine engineering. then you'll spend 9-11 month as cadets onboard the ship. after that only you'll be certified as an engineer.

- even if you got degree, you cannot sail as an engineer officer because you haven't got your COC. to do COC you need to complete sea-time.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Jan 1 2009, 03:26 AM

how much is the coarse fee for 3years? im quite poor myself.
And summore, if my application is accepted, do i have to fly over to terengganu just for interview. What if i failed the interview, wouldnt it be a waste of time n money. im from sabah btw.
Can give us more tips on the interview part hehe, like what question they would usually ask..i so want to devote my life to the sea

how much is it to study MEBP? is it paid for? any salary while studying?

it seems more interesting than police academic .
I'm very interested at this marine things .

btw, I'm spm 2008 candidate ..waiting spm result ..

I visited the ALAM website but couldn't find the requirements and info about spm level intake ..

do they have female there , would be boring if got no female .lol

lol, we're in the same boat marsiano i agree..no gals no fun

high-five~

@silverchain

-no need to worry for the course fee maaa... becoz when you pass the interview and the written test, company will sponsored you from your study fees until your uniform. food and accomodation also provided. there are many company. all my batchmate got sposored.

-they will come to sabah to interview the sabah candidate. same goes to sarawakian.

- for diploma, you'll have to pay around rm 30k for one sem.

- question that they ask is normally basic question.

1st : introduce yourself.
2nd: why you choose this career?
3rd: who encourage you to join this industry?
4th: what do you expect 10 years later?
5th: who is MISC top person?
6th: how big is MISC fleet?

bla2. juz basic question.

The sponsorship will encompass amongst others:
# Tuition Fees
# Food
# Lodging
# Uniform
# Pocket Allowance
# Modular Courses
# International Passport
# Seaman Card/Book



@SeLrAhC

yup! MEBP students are also sponsored by MISC. they got rm1200 monthly allowance just by studying and onboard the ship they got rm1800 monthly.



@marsiano

here's the requirement:

Officer Level
# Diploma in Nautical Studies (DNS)
# Diploma in Marine Engineering (DME)

Prerequisite:
# SPM/SPVM with credits in B. Melayu, English,
Mathematics/Additional Mathematics, Physics/General Science
# Male & Female
# Single
# 17 - 21 years old
# Not colour blind
# Physically and mentally fit
# No visual aids (for DNS only)

Support Level
# Deck, Engine & Catering Rating





@marsiano & silverchain

we do have female cadets. but small number only maa... 222 male cadets then 9 female cadets. if you're looking for gals, this is definitely not you career line and not the place.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Jan 2 2009, 09:21 PM

Bro

To be a seafarer kene ikat contract wan ah?

mean can I be a seafarer for 10 years then retired?

for the sponsored students, yes. the contract depends on the companies. but not exceed 15 years. some only 8 years.

you can also do contract job. let's say the company wants you to sail with them for 10days. that way also can.

My friend-destroyer is a seafarer but FYI, u also can join unikl MIMET(malaysian institute of marine engineering technology). It's more on a big company at dry dock and shipyard(place for making a ship or small craft). It's also offer marine engineering course..i won't recommend it bcuz there was no any fresh grad from that course. Most are diploma is ship construction and maintainance and diploma in ship design.

in previous post , u mention about writing test , could u tell us more specific it asks ?
within what we had learnt in spm or out off spm (general knowledge about marine ?)

I got so much free time now , so it's good for me to preparetion.
Any suggestion of what sort of preparation should I have ?

they interview in BM or English ?

only these 2 courses being offered to SPM level candidate ?

will do some research by using internet , see which 1 suits me more


'(Mathematics/Additional Mathematics), (Physics/General Science)'
mean one(either math or add math) of them need to at least to get B to fulfil the prerequisite or both (math and add math) needed to get B?

since I didn't take G.science , so I guess physcis must get at least B , right?

do they have some sort of examination or test to measure our physical and metal healthiness ?
I'm worried that my physical stamina not good enough as I dont have exercises habit but that I think I could overcome it by doing excise now

I dont understand the term above , may u please explain to us ?


even though I love female but I think my interest toward the marine studies should overwhelm the issue

This post has been edited by Marsiano: Jan 2 2009, 11:27 PM

i think credits for all the required subjects is enough, which means C.

- for this one, you need to study back your spm subject. they are english, addmath+mod math, and physic.

-interview will depends. if you starts in english, it'll continue in english. but if you starts in bm, it'll continue. better be in english. seafarer need to know english. basic also can.



-yup! only that two.

-they'll choose either one of the subject. and it must be minimum C.

-for the test of physical and mental fitness, yes. ALAM have that kind of test. it is called Induction Program. be prepare for hell in a one whole week. very2 tiring. those who cannot withstand it can quit the course becoz after the induction prog, you cannot quit anymore. you'll have to pay back your sponsor. It doesn't matter whether you did all the test perfectly or not. becoz, once you're in the induction program, you have actually acquired the sponsorship. it just that they want to test whether you can "tahan" or not.




that is rating or normal sailors. they are under MISC sponsorship. their course only 4month. one thing that is good about this job that is you can start from down below. in my place of stdy, there is this one captain. he start as a normal seaman. but he worked hard, pass all the exam. now he is a captain.




dun worry la. once ur poket is full, female will be chasing for u. imagine by the age of 21 you'll be getting rm8k. of coz la girls hunting you.

---

Added on January 9, 2009, 2:14 amI had checked.

MEBP prog.

requirement: degree in mechanical/marine engineering(mechatronic also can)

marital status: single(married also can, but they need to apply "rayuan"

age: if i'm not mistaken not more than 28 years of ages.

CGPA: the lowest i known is 2.7

date of advertisement: around march/april. they said. they saw it through STAR newspaper

This post has been edited by destroyer: Jan 9 2009, 02:14 AM

so any news regarding ALAM?

yeah!

there are some news.

the laz week before sem break, Director of Corporate Affair come to my place. a visitation.

then, he told us that due to current economic crisis, this year ALAM will be accepting only 150 student for marine engineering(my batch got 219).

make sure you do your bez during the selection.

I'll inform latest news regarding when the application will be open. but it'll be out after spm result.

Oh man, hopefully not much of a challenge in sabah area here. Im kinda get nervous easily during interview

dun worry.

juz be yourself. and show your interest towards maritime industry.

learn something about ship.

and about MISC profile.

hey how often do you go to the mainland?how long actually you spend on board?

Been on a working ship before. Stairs narrow and slippery. Engine room noisy and narrow and very slippery. I don't think it's going to be a picnic in any storm. Anyway if you have Astro there are documentaries about the people who work on the ships (crab fishermen etc.) Very interesting.

This post has been edited by wodenus: Jan 30 2009, 07:45 PM

haha. are you former mariner before. which company are you working with back in the past?




go to mainlands depends on the captain permission.

about tym spent onboard depends on company and rank.

for my company.

4th Eng & 3rd Eng : 6month on, 3 month off.
2nd Eng: 4 month on, 3 month off.
Chief Eng: 4 month on, 4 month off.

the application is ON ??

http://www.alam.edu.my/internet/alam/alam....ecruitment-.pdf

which means I can post the application form ??

or I wait until the SPM result is released ?

nope.

that's the last year form.

check the date.

they normally release it after spm result is released.

School trip. It was very educational.

Is it a big ship that you went to?

since i've seen some picture from my senior who went onboard VLCC(very large crude carrier). the engine room is very huge. the main engine itself is 4-storey high.

It was one of those at Port Klang.



Yes I remember that.. there's a sort of pathway (it's narrow and oily and very slippery) so you can walk around it and look at all the machinery

This post has been edited by wodenus: Jan 30 2009, 09:29 PM

man damn cool,can get up to 4 months off..btw 4 months off with or without pay?

hrmmm...

for my company, it's without pay. other company depends.

my company pay is one of the lowest. only usd2220 for fresh grad. other pay usd3900-4800.

I rejected ALAM offer last time but now think it back like jus wasted. Haha, since recession in msia, if u grad as seafarer sure no problems. Cause u don need find the job but they already give u the job with a good benefits.

Anyway,
To be successful for sponsored, i have few opinions here.
*Make sure u have a medical fits(Which no sickness o illness) if not harder u get in.
*Is an advantage if u dont have any vision problems(Colour o vision blind) which mean perfect eyesight is preferable.
*I think geography and race is one another factor which u cant ask they why. I think u will know what this mean.
*And lastly, make sure u take this line as ur future, if not dont do it, once u break the contact, i think u will stay just like hell, u need pay back much more than they amount they spent on u.
* And if u not the one tough and rough, which maybe u easy get sick and bored with a job, better don try ~

That my advise ^^ Good luck to all~

yup.

If one can stand to see the same environment for whole week, it's no prob for them.

But almost the same as shore work.

both have upside and downside.

by sailing, u don't have to think about the rising fuel price. u don't have to think about food since it is provided. when coming to shore after sign off, ur wallet will be very thick. provided u're good with girls, then you'll surrounded with chick. but don't do that la.

as a seafarer, make sure you search carefully for wife. and don't fuc* around while sailing or else your wife might also look for another man.

it seems like ure promoting it more than advising ppl
but good info u gotten there to provide ppl more info on making big bucks

well on ur last reply well earning easy big bucks sometimes comes with sacrifice some might even end up getting married really late like my father's fren which is a sailor last time

seafarer would mean an alternative for aircraft related career in some ways IMO

dun shoot me if im wrong

Yep!

I'm promoting by the mean of introducing this career line.

Ask ur fren around. How many of them knew about marine engineering and nautical studies.

during my school tym, i know nothing about it.

and, people tends to have bad thought about mariner.

about married late, maybe they fear to leave their wife home.

dun worry, the top 2.

Chief eng/2nd eng
captain/chief off

they can bring their wife and 1 son onboard.


moreover, many of malaysia ship are still operated by foreigner. lack of malaysian seafarers cause this prob. this is a good job opportunities for malaysian. that's why i'm introducing it. to help the growth of maritime industry and to help malaysian earn better living especially during this recession tym when it is hard 2 find job.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Jan 31 2009, 12:55 PM

My school counselor talked about this seafarer career. He also said it's not for everyone. Only those who are willing to sail for months leaving family at home. Not everybody wants that. I'm pretty interested in this but I don't want to do engineering. Sefarers must be marine engineers right.

About married late. No comment. Many non-seafarers also got married late.

you can go for nautical studies.

there were 2 higher institutions that provide these course.

you can choose Diploma in Nautical Studies(navigation part, later on become captain)

1)Akademi Laut Malaysia(ALAM)
2)Sarawak Maritime Academy

for ALAM, juz apply like marine engineering. same application process. just that you have to choose nautical studies.

sarawak maritime academy i'm not sure how to apply. been looking around for the website. could not find it. some news i've read that they begin taking the first batch last year. not sure how to apply.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Jan 31 2009, 04:26 PM

Captain. Sounds good. It's like pilot for ship rite.

i still need to consider other things like the working condition. My counselling teacher scared everyone la saying you weak guys better work in office. lol. But I always want to sail like a pirate.

When you go work for let's say 3 months. Do you stay onboard for the whole 3 months. Or do you get the chance to rest at ports.

yep! nautical studies are conducted in the main campus in Melaka.

sometime you can go shore leave(outing) at port. depends on the captain.

don't worry too much on physical. but more on mental. think about it carefully.

some people sail to escape from problem on shore.

some people sail then committed suicide bcoz mental not strong.

but sailing is relaxing laa... you just focus on work. meal are provided. what o you need to think. every month can send famly some of ur salary. help them ease their burden. help your sibling.

this field is most suitable for people with adventure mind.

________________________________________________________

let me tell all of you my personal story. well, i come from middle-class family. during my spm, i did not do well in it. only got 5A's. my bro went to egypt for medical courses under scholarship. So, i feel like i'm burdening my parents. I cannot afford going to IPTS. if i go to IPTA, i'll still need money from my parents for my living.

i was considering for actuarial science and architecture before going to ALAM. but, i got C for add math. so i don't go for actuarial science course offered to me. I also decide not to go for architecture because i heard that this course might cost a lot of money(but with creativity tis can be reduced) for model making.

so, when i was in matric. i spent only rm3 for my meal. daily... only eat twice per day to prevent myself from asking my family for money. one day. while I was praying. handphone in my pocket vibrate. i put it in a silent mode. after finish pray. i check my phone. there is a unknown number. i decide to give it a call. later on. the voices on the other line mention that they were from ALAM. they said i got the sponsorship. suddenly it stop because my phone was running out of battery. i have to borrow my friend phone.

i was asked to go for briefing from my company. it is compulsory. my father said he will pick me up. i was in matric at that time btw. after waiting. it is already 9o'clock. briefing start at 10o'clock. i wonder why my father haven't arrive yet. so i give him a call. his tyre exploded while otw to matric. so i called for taxi. in my heart was filled with anger since i'll be late for the interview. but, i soon realise that i should be grateful since god still save my father. i almost cry that time. when i arrive. it is already 10.30 am. haha. the briefing had not started yet.

and now. here i am in ALAM. studying for marine engineering.

wow, thnx for sharing ur story TS

I salute you bro And congrats.

Well I will think about this for some time. Not much people go into this field because they don't like the working condition. I also don't really know what i want to do. After watching pirates of carribean got inspired. I'm researching about this field online and will think properly.

This post has been edited by HiddenTrap: Jan 31 2009, 05:37 PM

yeah...

there is also people in my place that have harder lyf than me.

for your info. during interview. the interviewer will give good mark towards people with strong passion towards offshore job and also to people coming from hard-living family.

one more thing. if i'm not mistaken. the management once tell us that most of the student selected are the eldest son in the family or 2nd. coz they hope that we are the one to help our family.

but other people also have same chances provided that you do well in the exam. if you go just like that and doing so-so like my friend. you'll not get it. one of my friend who went on the same day for interview along with me don't get the scholarship.

fluency in english is an added advantage. basic2 also ok la. as long you can speak. no prob. haw can you work onboard ship when you can't even speak english. haha.

bring necktie along. smart haircut. since some who went for the interview have long hair(tau la baru lpas spm). i never saw them in the academy. cause they have mark for "Penampilan Diri".

I'll elaborate more if some of you got selected for the interview.



@hiddentrap

yes! you should think about it carefully. do some research. i also do some research before go. after satisfied only then i decide.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Jan 31 2009, 05:48 PM

Been reading about seafaring. Let me share a bit. With great money comes great sacrifice (subjective). or with great sacrifice comes great money...

Advantages:
- Very high starting pay. At a young age you are already rich.
- Salary can be very high. Exceeding 20,000...US Dollar for high ranks like Captain.
- Great prospects.
- Your qualification allows you to work anywhere. Maritime is international.
- Free living cost.
- Travel around the world. Don't expect too much as some workers can't even leave the ship. Ships today always want to move as fast as possible. But still can see places all over the world for free.
- Adventerous career

Disadvantages:
- Long periods on sea. Return home one or two times a year only.
- Hard work. 12 hours of work daily. On shifts.
- Marine engineers work in the noisy hot engine room.
- Sea storms, giant waves, seasickness
- The sea is your life. You are there much longer than you are on land.
- Far from family. Some wives of seafarers left their husbands. Can bring family onboard sometimes.
- Risky. If anything happens you are in the middle of ocean far from any civilisation. Pirates are always watching you.

Most sefarers are happy with their job. It's not that tough, horrible and lonely after all. They must be used to it. Besides if you love seafaring like some ppl then what job is better. Should you ever feel tired of sailing. You can transfer to a shore-based career.

This post has been edited by HiddenTrap: Feb 1 2009, 10:10 PM

tanx for the added info hiddentrap.

yep. we live in sea longer than on shore.

dun worry. there are many career on shore if you're tired of sailing.

for chief eng/captain, they work 8 hours a day. but actually they can come to work anytime and nobody will say anything. they're boss btw. but ethically, it is not right.

for chief eng/captain in my company, its 4 month on/4 month off. equal tym onboard and on shore. ever heard of FPSO?

almost like oil rig/platform. but they also need marine guy. you work 2month on/2month off. some even 2 weeks on/2weeks off.

some companies even promoted you to manager level if you performed well and loyal with them. manager only do shore based work.

i will elaborate more later on about shore based career for those who are tired of sailing.

4 month off/on is nice. And only 8 hours a day. I guess the higher your rank the easier the job.

I wish I can live on a ship for some time to experience seafaring life. But where got ah. Maybe can volunteer on a ship

My friends discourage me to work on ship. Saying it's no life . Maybe family also won't allow. ..so yea..

This post has been edited by HiddenTrap: Feb 1 2009, 11:58 PM

yup. job might be easier. but heavier responsibilities.

hard to get onboard merchant ship as passenger nowadays. because of strict company policy.

haha. at first my mom also discourage me to enter this course. but i manage to "pujuk" her. then she calm down. and she said it's my choice. i tell her. this might be my only chance to get scholarship. i'm not doing well with my academic. so might not get this chance anymore. moreover, i always wanted a job that promise me big bucks so can help ma family.

i also wanted to attract many young generation into this industry because we have many shipping companies in malaysia. but most of the men working onboard are foreigner. this is a opportunities for malaysian.

another factor that cause lack of malaysian in the maritime industry is because lack of exposure given to us. i never know anything about alam until i finish my spm. that is when i come across my senior friendster profile. i saw his college. so i ask his phone num and call him to ask more about it. after getting much info. i receive my spm result around march. while reading newspaper, i saw alam advertisement. so i apply for it. hoho.

destroyer....should i take seamen license b4 i apply to be sea farer coz seemly all the cmpany either i have the license or not...anyway u r deck or engine stdent n what bacth r u....23 or 25.....just wanna know.....actually my friend r stdying at alam too....

---

Added on February 2, 2009, 3:53 am*ask

This post has been edited by kimm: Feb 2 2009, 03:53 AM

pardon me...I just want to be realism towards this matter ...

racism is what I anticipate,

but how is the chance of non-malay being selected compares to malay during interview ??
in other words, how high the chance of a chinese like me being selected to be sponsored??

how the real life environment ?? is there any racism or overbearing of seniors towards juniors inside the institution ??
I want to make sure I won't stick in racism environment for decades ...

-----------
regarding the application form,

-Identity card
-school leaving cert
-examination cert
-co-cu cert

and I need to send ..

-examination cert: SPM result alone or along with form4/5 examinations results or both??

-co-cu cert: all co-cu certs I got or the general co-cu cert(Sjil Penilaian ku-ko) by our own school ??

thanks

Suddenly I feel like going onboard.. sounds like an exciting life, ships. If I could work on cruise ships or RO/RO or RO/LO vessels.. naiss..

ya the life does sound exciting. The pay also sounds exciting. But there must be a reason why they pay you so much.

http://www.midwaysailor.com/military/shiplife.html

Btw I don't even know how to swim. Better learn swimming first in case you fall in the Atlantic ocean.

This post has been edited by HiddenTrap: Feb 2 2009, 07:55 PM

no need. once you're admitted into alam, all of necessary item such as international passport and seaman card will be handled by them. company will pay for you. no need to use ur own money.


actually. in ALAM, i'm not sure about racism in alam lyf. coz in my batch, no racism is going on.

but it is a lie if I said there is no racism. there is. but not malay fight chinese or indian.

it's a racism against foreigner. those coming from outside malaysia. because, they the one who caused problem. and the whole batch will get the punishment for the prob they caused.

but it'll be reduced once they can cope with our tradition. coz they're not used to it. and we'll also cope with them.

among malaysian, there is no racism going on as far as i know.


yep! lyf onboard cruise is much more comfortable. but more tiring as more thing need to be maintained. but i think i'll opt to cruise if i've given a chance. everyday live in hotel.


hoho. dun worry. because onboard merchant ship(i'll use oil tanker as an example). il tanker is one of the biggest ship in the ocean. guess what. the crew onboard normally only 27 people in the whole ship. haha.

so what does these people on ship do everyday? do mapping/routing? do maintenance? flyfishing? they'll be working everyday as long as their sailing right?

the only seafarer's life i know is what i see in pirate movies.. man the steering, man the canon, pull sails, do the sextant thing, man the bird nest with telescopic monocular... LAND AHOY!

for the deck side, they'll drive/navigate the ship.

for the engine side, we will monitor the engine room and carry out maintenance if anything go wrong.

when not in working tym, either sleep, playing snooker, online, swimming, karaoke, watching tv(or dvd), playing computer games, fishing and many more that you can think of. haha.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Feb 2 2009, 08:50 PM

actually im diploma stdent in electric engineering..but then all the cmpany that i apply eto(electric n technical officer) ask about the seaman license.....so how????....plz help me.....

ask them. whether the seaman license they ask is COC or seaman card.

for the seaman card & discharge book, you can do it at the Marine Department.

but i think it is a seaman card. better give the company a call again and ask about it.

which cmpny should i apply to gain my interest to be seafarer...seemly all the cmpny already have their own sponsor students.....

errr...

right now, there is no company sponsoring for electrical officer.

you can try MISC, GMV, Bumi Armada, AET, Alam Maritim, Tanker Pasific n many more.

call them and ask if there is any vacancy for Electrical Officer.

if they have, ask for the requirement.

btw, here is the document you needed if you want to work onboard/sailing on merchant ship as worker..

Required:

Seaman Card and Discharge Book: can get from Malaysia Marine Department.

International Passport : Immigration

Modular certs : from institution providing these course. for example ALAM.
ask the company whether they can sponsor you for this courses. since it is very expensive.

---

Added on February 2, 2009, 11:55 pmbtw, i think i forgot to mention that you don't have to pay income tax.

haha.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Feb 2 2009, 11:55 PM

how much the fee to get seaman card and discharge book

woah, never thought seafarer could ever be able to enjoy such entainment im so gonna join now

Mmm ya they are able to enjoy such entertainment in their free time. Everyday they work for 12 hours, sleep and enjoy for remaining hours.

I'm not sure. since all are being handled by ALAM. mybe you can give marine department(mardep) a call and ask about it. i think less than rm200.



yep! that's why some people escape to this career to relax. we have different life than shore based work. even more relaxing. just work then relax. food also provided. some ship organize party on weekend. depends on captain. if you're going on oil tanker, you can also play futsal.

salary is tax free. hoho. njoy the full power of your salary once you're on shore. haha.

but my advise, better save a little bit of money. for future investment.

---

Added on February 4, 2009, 4:39 amopppsss!

seem i missed some of marsiano question.

ok. the selection process is equal in number. just for the felda/jpa might be more malay.

sponsorship from companies such as misc and aet carries equal number.

but you might find out that you'll see more malay and indian. and less chinese. this is because, not many chinese apply for it. it is true. during interview process, i can only see 3-5 chinese among 50 other candidate.

but no worry. during the induction program, you'll get to see how these 3 major races get along together like we're family. the hardship we face make us realise that we should work together no matter what race.

they train us from here because later on when working onboard ship, you'll be working with people from other country, races, and religion.

This post has been edited by destroyer: Feb 4 2009, 04:39 AM

ya seaferers will work in an international environment. I watched a vid on Youtube about seafarers. They came from everywhere from Philippines to India to Ukraine to Mexico all in one ship.

During induction program what do you have to do?

more like body and mental torturing. it bring your body to the limit. those who cannot withstand it will quit. they don't remove who cannot perform the activities. but the pain will make you quit yourself. hoho. one week of hell.

during the induction, it's not the physical that determine you're strong or not. it's ur mental.

hmm, sounds scary. Im curious too wat do we have to do. If my mental is strong but not physical. Maybe like i cant do well some of the activities? They will not sack me?

nope. there is one "obese" guy in DNS. he almost cannot do all the activities. but he stay until the end of the induction program. and he pass and got admitted into the program.

also, bear in mind. if you're not selected for the first intake, there might be also 2nd and 3rd intake. because, if some of the students quit during the induction program, they'll replace by calling other candidate.

my advise, do your best during the selection process.

Asking about seafarer,

Hi, Maybe you know me

1) I want to ask that people who wear spec cannot get this course in ALAM?
2) How about study half way and change to this seafarer field?

Thank you, reply asap

Reply From destroyer
hrmmm....

for the 1st question.

yes. you can enter alam if you wear spec. but make sure you choose marine engineering course. nautical studies need you to have almost perfect eyesight. almost same like pilot.

for the 2nd quest,

what course are you taking now. what make you interested to change to seafaring field?

I am from Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Now my college does not comfirm my future with License Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME). As finish my senior still get nothing from MAS. If all be contract staff, useless is a part, forward degree, everything start from zero, useless is a part, than I with my friends will change career field from Air to Sea right now this March intake. Wasted 1 years and 1 year in Polytechinic. If they start a program for us to forward our study to LWTR or TAME, than it can consider. But the point now is everything is in a maze. Still do not know what path to go after leaving the maze of this course DAM(Diploma Aircraft Maintenance).

With your engineering background perhaps Marine Engineering would seem more familiar to you.

well... it really depends on you. because it's up to your interest.

in ALAM, all student will be prepared for Class 4 Certificate of Competency. almost same like LAME license.

we have oral and written test to obtain the COC.

the written test is the diploma.
the oral will be conducted with MARDEP(marine department) after you finish.

so the program here is almost like LAME. just for the ship and not airplane.

i cannot give you final words since it might be a correct choice for you. and it might be wrong choice for you.

are you willing to go into sem 1 in ALAM? what is your age now?

but i don't think it is too late because in my batch, there are also people enter here by 21 years of ages. and as far as i know, ALAM graduate have not having any problem in securing job after grads since most are sponsored by shipping companies.

another thing need to be consider. lyf in ALAM is very2 different from politeknik. why don't you apply for marine engineering course in politeknik?

ask more in this thread if you need any more info or suggestion. so the others can also share the info.

Changing from air to sea also means you will have to sail around the world for months and months. This is why not many people are into seafaring.