Apr 2008
Updating of our website is being implemented.
Oct 2005
This year marked the 75th Anniversary of our Norwegian principal, Eidsiva Rederi ASA which will be celebrated by a dinner on 3rd November 2005 at the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo.
Monsoon has business relationship with Eidsiva since the early days of Monsoon, 1992 and has over the years developed a close friendship with the owners and managers of Eidsiva.
Monsoon offer our heartiest congratulations to the owners and management of Eidsiva Rederi ASA on this happy occasion and wishes Eidsiva further development and success in the years ahead.
Please check out Eidsiva website www.eidsiva.no
Sep 2005
Monsoon - An Active Participant At Maritime Manpower Singapore Conference
30 September 2005
Our Managing Director Mr Pan Boon Pin together with Andy Wang, Gabriel Tan and Ju Gek attended the Maritime Manpower Singapore (MMS) Conference 2005 . We took the opportunity to meet with many friends and customers who were present at the conference.
The main theme of the conference is Asian Perspective - Safety, Training & Wages
The Asian perspective turned up to be a provocative subject highlighted in the afternoon session ably chaired by Mr Teh Kong Leong from the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF). The questions being discussed was whether Asian viewpoints and interests are being represented at important international forums, for example at the International Bargaining Forum (IBF) which is seen by some Asian participants as being "Eurocentric". The perceived lack of representation is a cause of concern elegantly expressed by two speakers, Capt. Manji san from the Japanese Shipowners Association and Senior Managing Director of NYK Line and Mr Thomas Tay from the Singapore Maritime Officers Union (SMOU).
Both David Dearsley from the International Maritime Employers' Committee (IMEC) and Brian Orrell from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) briefed the delegates about their work and their intention to conclude the IBF collective agreement increasing the standard wages and other terms of employment that will be applied on the world fleet covered by their collective agreements. Their presentation perhaps only adds to the perception that the forthcoming decision and agreement of the IBF does not properly reflect nor address the concerns of the Asian shipowners and seafarers.
Mr Pan took the opportunity at the Q&A session to ask the IMEC and ITF to show how Asian interest and views are reflected in the outcome of their negotiations at the IBF and also respectively decisions at IMEC and ITF. The point being that even if there are no Asian group to negotiate with the ITF, it is important for IMEC and ITF to ensure Asian views and interest are respected.
What do we get out of attending this and other conferences?
Firstly, it is a chance to interact, catch up with our friends and customers and network with new potential customers and business partners during the conference and its associated events, lunch hosted by the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) and the World Maritime Day evening cocktail reception hosted by the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA).
Secondly, we hear expert and practitioner views of subjects important to our business (criminalisation of seafarers - Mr Richard Kuek), to learn from the best practices of leading ship managers (Promoting the Safety culture by Mr Lim Tau Kok from Neptune Shipmanagement Services Pte Ltd).
Thirdly it is also a chance for us to get updates of industry development such as the IBF negotiations and expected wage increment etc.
Last and perhaps most important - responsible participation in an event allowing us to exchange ideas, make suggestions on any aspect of our industry which are important to us, to maintain good visibility of our organisation within the community, promote our public image, to make our view heard, to represent the interests of Monsoon, our clients and our seafarers.
Have we achieved our objectives as spelt out above? I think the answer is a resounding YES.
What is perhaps equally important is for all of us after the conference to follow up business leads and implement relevant ideas and best practices learned from the conference.
The conference papers are available for reading to interested staff and crew of our company. Feel free to give your comment and debate the subjects arising from this conference.
Virana - Successful Change
of Management
30 September 2005
Virana was transferred from V.Ships, Norway to Belships, Singapore on 23rd September 2005 at Onsan, Korea. Captain Fabila is in command of the vessel.
We all wish her many successful voyages under the current charters and look forward to working closely with Belships to ensure the ship operates efficiently.
Virana at Kamasaki
30 September 2005
Monsoon Singapore moved its office from the old Dapenso building at 158 Cecil Street to the new Hock Kian Huay Kuan building at 137 Telok Ayer Street on 1st July 2004 - since then we have many visitors who has commented positively our new office layout. Our office space is about 1000 square feet which is just nice for our 7 staff. The layout encourages close communication among all staff and also provide sufficient space and comfort for each individual.
We have a
computer network and common electronic filing which greatly reduces the
need for filing and paper based work. Capt Ngoh does a great job in maintaining
our computer network system, ensuring very little downtime.
All Operations staff are provided with computers at home which is one
reason why our customers notice that our response to their queries are
almost instantaneous and complimented Monsoon for being almost a 24/7
operations.
OBSERVATION NUMBER ONE - From this photo evidence - We are smiling, we are enjoying our high tension work - we are completely dedicated to shipping and providing quality manning services.
OBSERVATION NUMBER TWO - When we add up the collective shipping/manning experiences of our six operations staff; its over 180 years. Nearly as old as Singapore?
We call this "phenomena" - THE MONSOON ADVANTAGE.
– From Zheng He to Stamford Raffles –
- Singapore as an International Maritime Centre -
It has been 600 years since the Ming dynasty Admiral Zheng He’s treasure fleet sailed the waters of SouthEast Asia, India, Arabia and Africa (The Monsoon region). Arabs, Chinese and Indian traders ply these routes even much earlier, spreading their religion and culture to the indigenous people of Indochina, the Philippines, Borneo, the Malay and Indonesian archipelago. The European came later seeking spices and to extend their colonial empire, fighting each others over the riches, vast untapped resources of the fabled Eastern world as well as control over its maritime trade routes.
Along this oceanic trade route, and strategically located at the southern end of the Malacca Straits, Singapore have grown and rose as one of the world largest and preeminent port, carrying on the same tradition of shipping and trade.
Be it ancient treasure fleet or modern merchant ships, seafarers are called upon to brave the dangers of the high seas, their skills and professionalism determine the success of all maritime adventure and enterprise.
Monsoon Maritime Services Pte Ltd – a dedicated crew manning company located in Singapore, at the center of this Monsoon region with offices extending from Myanmar, Philippines, Indonesia, India and China – mobilized and harness the proud tradition, experience and skills of the descendents of these intrepid seafarers from the Monsoon region to serve the modern merchant fleet of the world.
With hundreds of seafarers employed under the Monsoon banners, we are proud of our rich maritime heritage. Our mission “Responsible Management * Professional Seamanship” encapsulate the two main aspects of our services to ship owners, managers and operators.
In celebration of the 600th anniversary of Zheng He’s voyages to the south seas, The Zheng He & Maritime Asia Exhibition is currently held in conjunction with the opening of the new Singapore National Library. The exhibition ends 10th February 2006. We recommend our friends and readers with interest in maritime history to view this exhibition. Please explore further www.visitsingapore-zhenghe.com for more information.
Admiral Zheng He
Aug 2005
Field
Trip – An Eye Opener for Management Trainee
29 August 2005
Fresh out of university, Miss Pan Ju Gek has been with Monsoon for two
months now. For our Management Trainee, this was her first time to experience
and see for herself how life is like for the seafarers when she went on
board the Team Ace, a chemical tanker fully manned by Monsoon Myanmar
crew, on 22 nd August 2005. As the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand
words. It was indeed a great chance for her to relate to our Monsoon seamen
and their life on board a vessel.
Coming from an Economics degree background, Miss Pan has little technical knowledge and our young enthusiastic motorman Zay Yar Lin Khing gave her a walk-through of the vessel's engine room; a well-explained tour in English of the machinery and their applications. Engine temperature that day was a sweltering 51 Degree Celsius, albeit uncomfortable for the self-professed city girl. She gives kudos to the tough engineers who took the heat and work without complaints for hours on end in the engine room.
Beside the engine room, Miss Pan also had the opportunity to visit the bridge, the mess room, kitchen, cold room and gallery. Unfortunately, Captain Lu Win Maung was very busy that day, having to attend to the MPA inspection. Instead Captain Gabriel Tan, from his own previous seafaring experience, answered her queries with regards to the operation of the vessel. Mr. Andy Wang also gave her a good overview of Monsoon's responsibility to ensure and inspect crew's discipline and work attitudes.
When interviewed about the field trip, Miss Pan expressed her appreciation of this opportunity to go on board the vessel. She felt that to do this business well, one have to understand not only the technicalities of the job but also the practical reality of the life of the seafarers. She was also happy to see that crew morale was high, that of the seafarers putting in their best efforts for themselves and for the good of the Monsoon family.
Miss Pan will soon leave for further studies in Maritime Economics and Logistics come mid-October.
Team Ace
A Tour of the Engine Room
22 August 2005
Mr Pan, our Managing director recently make a visit to Manila to update himself on the development of our Manila office. He took the opportunity to meet with the senior officers joining the Virana and got himself invited for a pasalubong lunch together with Virana Chief Engineer Maglana, our president Mr Ramos, Mrs Ramos and our office staff.
The kind hosts of the lunch at Max was Mr. Leonardo M. Manansala Jr. and his beautiful wife, Erlinda. Leonardo has first served with Monsoon on November 1996 on board MV Multi Purpose 3 and has recently signed off MV Nordic Explorer. Homecoming after many months onboard, returning to his wife and children, enjoying a well earned vacation before returning to sea again, such is the lifestyle of Leonardo and our many seafarers.
It was a sumptious and very delicious lunch with local specialities, lechon kawali and Max’s famous fried chicken etc, more tasty than KFC.
Mr Pan commented “ Lunch with our Filipino colleagues are always such joyous and happy events, I was surrounded by young and vivacious Monsooners, full of life and happiness despite their working hard and for long hours at Monsoon. From such occasions, we can see how close our Manila colleagues are to each other and especially to our crew and their families.”
Our staff ashore can well recognize our responsibilities to our seamen and their families. We all appreciate their hard work and sacrifices away from home. We will work together to encourage and support one another, ashore and at sea. This is one manifestion of our motto : Responsible management * professional seamanship.
The Monsoon Manila Family
12 August 2005
One of the first ships to be manned by Monsoon was the Virana. The former Virana is fondly remembered by many of our long serving seamen from Myanmar and the Philippines. Its name was transferred to G & C Parana - so, now the renamed Virana will be transferring technical management from V.Ships, Norway to Belships, Singapore. Monsoon Singapore will continue, as we have before the name change, to provide our services as the vessel's crew manager.
The transfer is expected to take effect 1st September 2005 in the Japan area. This event will mark the first time we will be co-operating on a larger scale with Belships, Singapore who has been our customer for Myanmar seafarers since last year. We look forward to building a closer relationship with Belships.
We are also happy that we will be placing a full set of Filipino crew under the command of our good old Captain Jessie Fabila who has long been associated with this ship and other ships under our Norwegian principals, Wesnav and Eidsiva.
Monsoon wished Virana and its crew the best of success under this new manning arrangement.
01 August 2005
After many years of operating out of our old office on 98th Street, it is with mixed feeling that we shifted out of this kampong atmosphere and familiar environment. In Myanmar, it really takes a huge amount of effort to move office with many things to take into consideration.
Monsoon
Yangon started from this old office in 1991. We have many memories embedded
within these familiar four walls - many of our seamen will no doubt
remember with fondness and nostalgia the crammed and hot training room
and
the many training sessions, briefings and dialogues which foster a strong
camaraderie between our staff ashore and at sea.
The
idea for the new building was planted early last year. After many hours
of discussion and looking at various possible locations, U Than Win came
up with the most practical decision to use his plot of land to build up
our new four
storey building, half of which will also be the new home for U Than Win
and his family. U Than Win took on multiple roles as office, home developer
and civil engineer and had spent a significant portion of his time for
the past 15 months or so on-site, supervising the building of this new
office.
Our
new
office offers much bigger and better facilities for our staff, a spacious
training room, a tea area for our staff and seamen to relax and socialise
and ample space for future expansion. The surrounding environment is also
much more pleasant. We believe and want our new office to provide a more
conducive and friendly environment for our people.
Now
that the new office is completed and with our staff settling into this
new environment, our hope is to build up Monsoon Myanmar as the strongest
anchor in
our effort to rebuild Monsoon into a bigger and better crew manning office.
This new office manifests our firm commitment to our Myanmar seamen and to our customers.
We are planning a modest new office celebration to mark this important occasion.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
One of the last batches of cadets trained at our old office.
Lessons in
the old training room
Discussing the details
Copyright 2005 Monsoon. All Rights Reserved.
