KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd expects stable gateway trade, cautious but improving investor confidence, and sustained demand for logistics reliability to drive next year’s performance as Sabah strengthens its position within regional supply chains.
Recapping 2025, the port operator said in a written interview with Bernama that state economic activities, with stable movements in palm oil, fertilisers, industrial inputs, consumer goods and the manufacturing sector had primarily shaped Sabah’s trade flows, and continue to anchor Sabah Port’s volumes.
Sabah Ports managing director Datuk Ng Kiat Min, who is also Suria Capital Holdings Bhd
group managing director, said container growth remained positive as regional demand normalised and key industries such as manufacturing, retail, and agriculture maintained their steady import and export cycles.
"From January to October, Sabah Ports recorded steady operational performance driven primarily by container growth, with total throughput rising 1.5 per cent to 14.52 million tonnes versus 14.30 million tonnes in 2024,” Ng said.
Container handling was at 443,884 TEUs for the first 10 months, 6.8 per cent up from 415,605 TEUs in 2024, supported by stable trade flows and strong demand.
The ongoing Sapangar Bay Container Port expansion is the most significant milestone recorded for the year, the port operator said, the port operator said.
Development is advancing steadily and will significantly increase berth capacity, yard space, and equipment readiness to support Sabah’s rising container demand and future transhipment potential.
"We have completed constructing Sapangar Bay Oil Terminal's new jetty, which has been under trial operation since November 2025. This is a major milestone for our oil terminal operation,” he added.
The new jetty enhances safety, increases operational flexibility, and improves vessel handling efficiency for petroleum and related liquid cargoes, he said.
As for Tawau Port’s operation, capacity and efficiency were further strengthened with the acquisition of two new quay cranes, a substantial equipment upgrade to boost productivity and reduce vessel turnaround time.
They will be commissioned within the first quarter of next year, Ng said.
Sabah Ports also affirmed that Malaysian ports, complemented by Sabah’s strategic gateway network, are well-positioned to maintain their regional relevance and will continue to support Malaysia’s export-driven growth into 2026.
Ng said steady palm oil export activities, products from solar glass maker Kibing Group headquartered in China, copper foil from global producer SK Nexilis, and other industrial outputs continue to anchor the port’s volumes and reinforce its role within regional trade routes. - Bernama
