Course set for becoming best tanker operator

THE oil shipping arm of Petronas-owned MISC, AET Tankers, has one goal in mind. Rajalingam Subramaniam, or Capt Raja as he is known in the industry, sums it up: "We want to be the best, (even if) we may not be the biggest."

Capt Raja made this remark at an interview with The Business Times recently, seven months into assuming the role of president of the tanker company. He takes over the helm at AET Tankers about 12 years after playing an instrumental role in acquiring the tanker owner-operator for the parent shipping group, MISC.

MISC paid US$445 million in cash to NOL for AET, in addition to funding another US$75 million in cash dividend payout AET made to NOL.