ASEAN Ports Association Malaysia (MAPA)

THE Finance Ministry is studying an application for licence from a company to build an offshore port that will serve the oil rig in Kuala Kemasin, Kelantan.

Deputy Finance Minister Senator Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin said the application was reasonable considering that only one such port existed currently in Kemaman, Terengganu.

“This can cause congestion and such a situation can be overcome if a port could be built in Kuala Kemasin,” he told reporters at a Buka Puasa dinner with non-government organisations at his residence in Bachok on Saturday.

Dr Awang, who is also Umno chief for Bachok division, said the site for the project has already been approved by the state government.

Building the port in the area will be highly strategic considering its proximity to the oil rig operating in Terengganu, he said.

It will also be close to the oil rigs on international waters and which are joint ventures between Malaysia and Thailand and Malaysia and Vietnam.

Dr Awang said the economic effects on local people would be great especially for fishermen who will be able to carry out their fish trading business.

The private sector, meanwhile, will be able to develop residential units at the port to cater to employees working there.

“I fully support the application,” he said. – Bernama

In June this year, the port community in Port Klang was surprised by the entry of little known Lim Thean Shiang as Port Klang Authority’s general manager.

Coming to a post that has traditionally been reserved for long-serving government employees, Lim was worried of only two things – the acceptance of PKA employees and the port community.

“They (PKA staff) were sceptical of me, because I was from the private sector and therefore had doubtful management skills,” Lim quipped.

He said direct and indirect feedback gathered has been very encouraging.

“I feel that they have taken to my management style. I believe in empowering the staff, have them chair meetings, make decisions… it’s a new culture for them.”

Lim was handpicked by Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat to head Port Klang Authority after the March general elections. The official appointment, how-ever, came two months later on June 6.

He put the two months to good use by visiting both Northport (M) Bhd and Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd, as well as meet up with logistics players to get a better understanding of the industry.

The 37-year-old lawyer by training is not daunted by the mammoth task ahead of him though, as he points out that his task is to make sure that plans for Port Klang are on track.

“The plans for Port Klang still remain the same. The way I look at it… what is important is to put Port Klang back on the world map, to promote Port Klang and not the port operators.

“Both port operators must assist Port Klang in promoting us as Port Klang not as Northport or Westports,” Lim said

Besides continuing with the goal of making Port Klang the transshipment hub of the region, Lim plans to set out a 15-year strategic port development plan, which will map out the direction of both port operators in Port Klang and the kind of facilities and technology needed to develop both ports.

“I realise the efficiency of both ports are mainly reliant on the transportation infrastructure, especially the road infrastructure. So, we will put up the proposal to the Ministry of Transport, which will be most likely tabled in the 10th Malaysia Plan, to see how we can link up both ports,” Lim said.

He said the linkage would reduce internal transfer time as well as divert the movement of cargo trucks away from the public road system.

By : Presenna Nambiar