JELEBU, July 20 — Penang Port continues to play an important role as a logistics gateway for southern Thailand by handling container and cargo movements between the neighbouring country and Malaysia, said Transport Minister (MOT) Anthony Loke.
He said the port is now handling a large number of containers to and from southern Thailand, thus strengthening its role as a regional logistics hub.
“We do handle a lot of containers to and from Thailand, so Penang Port is now a gateway to southern Thailand.
“The cargo is transported by containers via train from southern Thailand to Penang Port and vice versa. The port is indeed actively handling cargo and containers from Southern Thailand,” he told reporters after meeting residents in Pekan Titi here today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently reportedly asked MOT to discuss the use of ports on the Malaysia-Thailand border as well as in Penang to strengthen the development of infrastructure and logistics networks in the border area.
Anwar said aspects of transportation, including the use of ports, were among the matters discussed with his Thai counterpart Anutin Charnvirakul during the leader’s recent official visit to Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Loke, who is also the Seremban Member of Parliament, said the effort was not new because it was being actively implemented, including the development of the Perlis Inland Port (PIP) as a support centre for logistics operations.
“PIP is being developed as a place for storage, warehousing and container storage. The operation is currently underway,” he said.
In another development, he reminded all participants in the motorcycle convoy in conjunction with the RXZ (RXZ Members 8.0) rally scheduled to take place on July 31 and August 1 to comply with traffic laws and prioritise safety.
He said the government did not reject organising such a large-scale programme because it could provide economic benefits to the state and local traders.
“However, what is most important is compliance with the law and road safety. We do not want large convoys like this to cause accidents.
“Programmes like this have a positive impact on the domestic economy and help local traders, but road safety must always be maintained so that no untoward incident occurs,” he said.
