ASEAN Ports Association Malaysia (MAPA)

IN SPITE of the difficult yet challenging economic recession that it encountered recently, Penang Port Sdn Bhd has managed to keep afloat and still perform at its best.

It did experience difficulties in the beginning. However, every cloud has a silver lining and for Penang Port, abundant opportunities emerged, just waiting to be capitalised on.

This was due to the following factors:

* Marketing strategy

In line with the Penang Port’s strategy to be supply-driven and make Penang Port a mainline port, it has embarked on several key projects.

Presently, Penang Port captures more than 90 per cent of the market share in port handling for trade by sea within the hinterland of four northern states of the peninsular and more than 50 per cent of the market share for the southern Thai region.

Its market assessment was clear – the hinterland generates cargoes and Penang is an important link for exporters and importers ensuring they remain competitive and connected in world markets.

* Continuous demand and ample resources

With continuous support from the existing hinterland and future hinterlands such as Medan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and the Indian sub-continent, Penang Port is capable of performing at its best.

Ample resources from Penang Port’s skilled and motivated employees as well as loyal and supportive stakeholers contributed to its growth and sustainability as a major port in the northern region.

In line with this, the expansion and acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment also helps to propel it to be a world-class port.

* Geographical location

Thanks to its strategic geographical location as well as being within the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), the Penang Port manages to stay ahead, providing the best for its customers.

“Penang Port can be positioned as a regional transshipment hub and upgraded to be one of the major container ports in the Bay of Bengal,” said its managing director Datuk Ahmad Ibnihajar.

PORT THROUGHPUT

For the year 2009, Penang Port handled a total of 929,639 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a growth of 3.1 per cent from 958,476 TEUs in 2008.

This was quite an achievement as many other ports in the region were registering negative growth then.

As a multi-purpose port, Penang Port handles dry bulk cargo, liquid bulk cargo, break bulk cargo and also containerised cargo.

Cargo handling performance in 2009 registered a marginal decrease of 6.69 per cent to 24,278,244 tonnes compared with 26,019,903 tonnes in 2008, but for the year to date for 2010, cargo handling recorded a growth rate of 51.59 per cent to 4,361,478 tonnes compared with 2,877,082 tonnes the previous year.

Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal

“Penang Port was proud to receive the RMS Queen Mary 2, one of the world’s largest ocean liners, when it made its maiden call at the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal on February 4.

“It marked a new milestone for the port operations in handling cruise liners.

“With more international cruises berthing at the Swettenham Pier, we aim to achieve higher and better revenue in the near future,” said Ahmad.

With the continuous support of anchor customers, Ahmad said Penang Port managed to handle cruise vessels in spite of the economic downturn in recent times.

Port Achievements

Penang Port has also embarked on a corporate branding exercise.

“Our objective is to elevate the port into a powerful and influential name as well as the brand ambassador for Malaysia, and at the same time ensure the achievement of its long-term objectives.

“This is in line with our infrastructure expansion and attaining the latest port equipment to ensure that Penang Port achieves the efficiency of a world-class port,” said Ahmad.

Penang Port also aims to enhance its image and services and at the same time send out the right message of what it represents or stands for and what it aims to be in the future.

“The whole idea of corporate branding is not only about image building but also about culture and vision.”

Penang Port also strives to deliver on its promises to its customers.

The year 2009 marked another milestone in the history of the port.

It was the first port in Malaysia to receive the MS1900-2005 Quality Management System – Requirement from Islamic Perspective on Provision of Container Handling Services and Warehouse certification from Sirim.

“In order to enhance our safe working environment, we are also undertaking a programme for the OSHAS 18001-2007/MS1722-2005 certification which is expected to be completed by this year,” Ahmad said.

KUCHING, Jan 11 (Bernama) — The Tanjung Manis Integrated Port is to become the primary import and export gateway for Sarawak central region when it begins full operations by next year.

The port, a subsidiary of Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) and appointed by Rajang Port Authority as its port operator in Tanjung Manis new township, had shown encouraging performance since commencing operations in July last year.

As at October 2009, it had received 11 vessels and handled 2,383 TEUs (twenty equivalent units) containers, said STIDC general manager and Tanjung Manis Integrated Port chairman Datuk Len Talif Salleh in the latest issue of Perkasa, the bi-monthly newsletter published by the corporation.

Currently, the port accesssible to 20,000 GRT (gross register tonnage) vessels, has the capacity to handle up to 200,000 tonnes of general cargo and 25,000 TEUs containers a year.

He said the existing 203-metre wharf would be extended by 200 metres to enable the port to handle an anual capacity of 200,000 TEUs of containers and six million tonnes of general cargo by next year.

When fully operational, the port is expected to be equipped with state-of-the-art cargo-handling facilities such as quay cranes, mobile harbour cranes, rubber-type gantry cranes and reach stackers, said Len.

He said the port was envisaged to play a pivotal role in the shipping industry with the completion of the Sibu-Tanjung Manis road by this year and support the various industries in the hinterland, particularly the Tanjung Manis Halal Hub and other projects planned under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

“With better facilities and a team of dedicated and experienced workforce, Tanjung Manis port promises efficient services apart from reducing vessel turnaround time due to its closeness to the sea,” he said.

Len said the port’s strategic location and natural deep water complemented its role as the central region’s transshipment hub.

Meanwhile, the 77,000-hectare Tanjung Manis Halal Hub is expected to attract at least RM9 billion worth of investments for upstream and downstream halal food processing activities, which will create about 10,000 jobs, besides other economic spin-offs.

Johor Port Berhad (JPB) manages and operates Johor Port in Pasir Gudang, Johor.  In the late 1960’s, the Malaysian Government had responded to the increasing  demands for a port to be established independent of a foreign port.  Thus, Johore Port was established with facilities adequate for the handling of local cargo and managed by Federal Government.  As the industrial hinterland expanded Johor Port began to further develop its facilities and was gazetted as a Free Zone in the early 1980’s.  It was the first port in Malaysia gazetted as a Free Zone following the multiplying benefits to attract more cargo and businesses.

Johore Port handles all port-related activities including terminal management, cargo handling, storage and warehousing, logistics and marine operations.  JPB offers the facilities for multiple modes of cargo, including break bulk (general cargo), dry bulk, liquid bulk and containerised cargo.

Users benefits from value-added

While terminal management and cargo handling remains the Company’s primary business, Johor Port prides itself in offering and extensive range of non-traditional port activities and value-added services for its customers.  This includes the running of the Free Zone within which Johor Port is located.  Johor Port’s control of its Free Zone services allows it to extend its scope of business and further extend the range of services to its customers.

Minister of Transport Visits Johor Port

Furthermore, having met the stringent requirements such as good security, efficient Free Zone management and excellent multi-purpose facilities, Johor Port is currently one of only four ports in Asia listed on the London Metal Exchange (LME).  The LME is the world’s largest trading platform for non-ferrous metals, and Johor Port is a safe point of storage and distribution of seven such metals: zinc, copper, lead, tin, nickel, aluminium alloy and base aluminium.

The Port also handles all marine operations within its water limits, including pilotage to private jetties, ship-to-ship transfers, salvage operations and the like, Land-based logistics Sdn. Bhd. (JPL).  JPL also operates all intra-port cargo movement.  JPL itself is expanding its total logistics operations to achieve its aim of becoming a major regional logistics player.  Working in synergistically, JPB and JPL form a comprehensive package of services to supplement the users’ supply and distribution chains.

Fully integrated ICT for speedy processing

Johor Port’s operations are managed through various web-based computer applications that allow for speedy transactions between the user and JPB.  The Johor Port Container Terminal System (JCTS) was recently launched as the beginning of a multi-phase implementation of a fully integrated system that will cover the majority of operations at Johor Port.  This system will incorporate the existing Free Zone Information Processing  System (FZIPS) and Marine Services System (MSS) together with the upcoming Multi-Purpose Terminal System (MPTS), which will manage non-container operations, and Port Safety Management System (PSMS), which will manage safety and security at Johor Port.  The ultimate aim of the integrated system is to provide a paperless and streamlined working environment that will substantially reduce operating time and costs for both Johor Port and its users.

Latest Developments

As Ports globally are increasingly competitive, Johor Port in its quest for higher efficiency and productivity, has been undertaking some intense development work.  The development covers operations facilities, support facilities and infrastructure as well as overall aesthetics.

One of the main upgrades is the revamping of the main entrance control.  Previous Customs checkpoint was demolished and replace.  Johor Port’s own security checkpoints also replace with new, dedicated checkpoints for individual entry to Container Terminal and Breakbulk Terminal.  These checkpoints and equipped with CCTV and centralised communications as well as basic utilities.

Facilities for port safety were also upgraded, with the JPB Port Safety Department office being expanded and renovated to house the Fire & Rescue under one roof.  A new Security Service Centre is now available to provide pleasant and professional ambiance to cater for all security issues pertaining to entrance control.

Roads at the main entrance and key intersections were upgraded to durable, heavy-duty concrete pave.  The construction also involved creating maintenance trenches for communications cables and utilities to reduce the impact of future maintenance work on day-to-day operations at the port.  The completed the package, the landscaping in the area has also been revamped with walkways and new foliage appeasing to users and visitors of the Port, thus making the environment suitably convenient and conducive for businesses.

On the operations, JPB has procured several new cranes, some of which have already been deployed recently.  Three new Rubber Tyre Gantry Cranes (RTG’s) began operations at the Container Terminal in late 2005, with three more to come in 2007.  Also in early 2007, a new Post-Panamax Gantry Crane will be delivered for wharf operations in the Container Terminal, increasing the total number of wharf cranes at the terminal to eight in total.  A bulk-handling crane was also delivered in the middle of 2006 to improve productivity at the Bulk and Break Bulk terminal.  Warehouses are all fully upgraded and built in 2006, making the total covered storage area for Bulk and Break Bulk to 1.5 million square feet in total.

For the users and seafarers, the Port has conveniently provided place, a mariner centre to converge for meetings or pleasures.  With a bank, clinic, a meeting room, a recreational lounge, a gift shop, a restaurant and three cafes, the mariner centre will be a great place for the Port users to rest and relax as well as conduct important business discussions.  The mariner centre also houses JPB Training Centre and a private marine training centre.