ASEAN Ports Association Malaysia (MAPA)

Container traffic through Port Klang, the country’s busiest container port, fell by 8.3 per cent last year, as the global economic downturn continues to hurt the country’s exports.

The port handled 7.3 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), the standard measurement for shipping containers, compared with 7.9 million TEUs in 2008.

In terms of tonnage handled, traffic through the port was 133.8 million tonnes, down 8.8 per cent over the previous year.

More than half, or 61 per cent of the container volume, was from Westports, which generated 4.451 million TEUs. Northport accounted for the remaining 39 per cent or 2.858 million TEUs.

Transhipment cargo took the largest share of Port Klang’s total throughput, contributing 58 per cent, with local boxes constituting the remaining 42 per cent .

However, transhipment volume also saw a 9 per cent drop to 4.3 million TEUs for the 12 months.

Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Kee Lian Yong said the decline in container and cargo throughput is in line with the global trend.

“(Nevertheless,) the port’s container volume was better than our earlier forecast of a 10 per cent drop. Overall Port Klang also fared better than other major ports in the world, which saw a 10-15 per cent drop in traffic,” he told Business Times.

Kee said Port Klang is expected to post throughput growth in 2010, returning to 2008 volume of 8 million TEUs.

“We remain cautiously optimistic as the shipping community is predicting that 2010 will still be a tough year,” he added.

According to Drewry Shipping Consultants Ltd’s most recent projections, the market will have to wait until 2012 before global container port volume exceeds 2008 levels again. It expects Far East and Southeast Asian container traffic to recover faster than that in other regions.

“In 2010, the market should brace for another tough year,” Shipping Association of Malaysia chairman Ooi Lean Hin had said in an earlier interview .

By: Kang Siew Li

THERE are many ships are operating in Malaysian waters but few of them are owned by Malaysians and this needs to be addressed, said Minister of Transport Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

To increase the registration of Malaysian ships, there is a need to ensure that the aspects of development and sea services infrastructure are implemented holistically, sustainably and well planned, he said. “We must be able to compete internationally,” he said.

Towards this, the Malaysia International Ship Registry (MISR), a body for the registering of international ships, has given an alternative option to the shipping community as a whole, he said.

Today, the MISR registered the first Malaysian international ship, “PUTERISIME 786” under its list in the Labuan Registry Port.

The MISR has been established to encourage individual and foreign shipping companies to register their ships in Malaysia without having to comply with the requirement of Malaysian majority share holder, he said at the registration of PUTERISME 786 in Labuan on Saturday.

The MISR would enable the placing Malaysia on the international maritime map.

“I am also fully confident that the MISR will be able to stimulate the shipping economic activities in the country,” Ong said.

Under the ship registry, foreigners are allowed to hold 100 per cent equity in line with the government’s effort to encourage foreign investments in the country.

With the registration of international ships, it would help increase the ships registry capacity and that to be able to handle the country’s transportation trade.

“This would in turn help to develop the maritime industry and create employment opportunities to graduates and Malaysian seamen, be it on ships or with shipping companies,” he said.

Ong said the government would also ensure the registry package is attractive from its company registration composition as well as financing of owning fund

By : btimes.com.my