Opinion: SMEs want to help National Defence, but the system holds them back

The oceans are increasingly populated by a dangerous armada. It numbers around 1,300 vessels. They are not warships. They are not state of the art. They are unarmed, old, often decrepit. They fly flags of convenience from countries such as Panama, Liberia, the Marshall Islands, Malta, and Gabon. Their crews, often Filipino, Chinese, or Indian, suffer from human rights and trafficking abuses. What the ships carry is Russian crude oil bound for overseas buyers, especially China and India. Their purpose: to bankroll Russian president Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine. They are war...