KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — The development of Carey Island and Midport will not affect the Port of Tanjung Pelepas’ (PTP) role, as each port has its own specialisation and distinct development concept, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said the first phase of the Carey Island Port development mainly focuses on general or bulk cargo, while container handling would be introduced in the second and third phases as the port expands and demand increases.
“So, there is no question of Carey Island’s development affecting PTP, let alone Midport,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said this in reply to a supplementary question from Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang) on the mechanism used to prevent price competition between ports and assurance that the development of Carey Island and Midport would not undermine PTP’s position as the country’s main transshipment hub.
Loke said PTP serves as a hub for Maersk and the Gemini Alliance, a collaboration between shipping companies Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, while Westports and Northport at Port Klang serve a more diverse range of shipping companies.
He noted that PTP’s position is quite secure due to Maersk’s investment in the port, which is the shipping company’s main hub in Asia.
“PTP’s development is relatively secure, and we will certainly accelerate the subsequent phases of its development,” he said.
Earlier on, in his reply to Wong’s original question on the national port capacity strategy, Loke said the role of each port had been clearly defined to prevent overlapping functions that could undermine the competitiveness of the country’s logistics sector.
He said PTP serves as the southern transshipment hub, and Port Klang, including Carey Island, acts as the main gateway and central transshipment hub, while Midport will serve as a specialised cargo and marine support centre.
As for the supporting infrastructure, Loke said the Transport Ministry (MOT) will strengthen the ‘road to rail’ policy to boost the use of rail to transport cargo and containers from industrial areas to ports.
He said the MOT would also continue seeking approval for the Southern Bypass project to enable rail freight from southern states to reach Port Klang directly, for consideration under the next Malaysia Plan.
He added that the Carey Island development is still in the early stages, and does not involve the port, but also includes development of industrial areas, urban planning, as well as facilities and infrastructure to support the vision of turning it into a maritime city.
