In cognizance of the risk, the absence of liability and the congested conditions in the Straits of Malacca, Malaysia and other Asean countries should make a strong stand against these shipments through their exclusive economic zones. There is a precedent. It should be noted that the shallow strait is one of the potential routes of these nuclear shipments. Also, the small coastal states which straddle the main shipping routes between Europe and Japan are poorly equipped to deal with a nuclear accident. Even irradiated research reactor fuel shipments to the US have been suspended since 1988 due to concern over the environmental and human safety.
Accidents do happen.
For example the Dutch cargo vessel Swallow carrying reactor spent fuel from Taiwan to the US was involved in an accident which forced an unscheduled port call at Manzanillo in Mexico where the vessel and its dangerous cargo remained for three months. The Sanko Harvest which had just unloaded its cargo of irradiated nuclear fuel ran aground on a reef and sank during a voyage from the US to Australia in February 1991. In November 1989 a nuclear maritime accident happened off Selangor. A US nuclear warship carrying nuclear warheads collided with a vessel off One Fathom Bank. One American sailor was killed and five injured.