He noted that positioning between the Strait of Malacca and
the South China Sea gives the nation a unique advantage, where swift
adjudication and specialized expertise are essential for time-sensitive cases.
He said that while Malaysia has long operated a specialized
Admiralty Court, the creation of the International Commercial and Admiralty
Division (ICAD) unifies admiralty and international commercial litigation under
one bench.
Established at the High Court on March 2 this year, ICAD is
set to boost investor confidence in Kuala Lumpur as a premier business and
dispute resolution center.
Wan Ahmad Farid said delays of even a few days in urgent
admiralty cases could have significant commercial consequences, particularly
when disputes involved vessels, cargo and parties across several jurisdictions.
“Applications for the arrest or release of vessels, the
provision of security and other urgent matters require prompt attention, and a
delay of even a few days can have significant commercial consequences,” he said
in his keynote address at the inaugural ICAD Conference 2026 at the Asian
International Arbitration Centre (AIAC).
Wan Ahmad Farid said maritime disputes were inherently
international, often involving vessels registered in one country, owned by
companies in another, financed by banks in a third and carrying cargo belonging
to parties across several jurisdictions.
“A vessel may be registered in one jurisdiction,
corporate-owned in a second, bank-financed in a third, chartered in a fourth,
and carrying cargo belonging to entities across several more,” he said.
“The trade that passes through generates disputes over
cargo, charter parties, finance, insurance, energy and infrastructure.”
Wan Ahmad Farid said ICAD aims to turn Malaysia’s
geographical position into a jurisdictional advantage, ensuring disputes are
adjudicated close to trade activity by judges versed in complex maritime and
commercial law.
He said a premier dispute resolution forum was built on
trust, which had to be earned over time, Bernama reported.
“It is earned when foreign investors know that if they bring
a dispute to Malaysia, they will receive justice that is blind to nationality,
deeply sophisticated in commercial logic and fiercely independent.
“Roads and ports carry goods. Certainty and trust carry
confidence, and confidence carries capital. Let us build this infrastructure
deliberately, protect it carefully, and offer it to the world with integrity,”
he added.
