177 yachts in Langkawi registry

The Langkawi International Yacht Registry, which is operated by the Marine Department, has attracted 177 yachts of various nationalities to register here. Of the total, 26 are owned by local individuals, 112 by foreign individuals, 35 yachts by local entities and the remaining eight by foreign entities.
“This is a marked improvement since the registry was launched in 2003,” Transport Ministry special maritime adviser Datuk Captain Abdul Rahim Abd Aziz said in a statement. He said the foreign yacht owners were from Austria, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the U.S.
“Looking at the current momentum, we aim ti hit the 200th mark by the end of 2010,” said Abdul Rahim, which is higher than its original target of 150 yachts. The Langkawi International Yacht Registry was launched in October 2003 by the then Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to help make Malaysia and Langkawi better known to yacht owners throughout the world and promote tourism.
According to the International Ship and Aircraft Registries, every yacht has to be registered in an internationally recognized jurisdiction to provide proof of nationality and ownership. A yacht assumes the nationality of the jurisdiction where it is registered, and is therefore subject to the regulations laid down by the governing register.