PORT KLANG: Northport’s prowess and stature in the region is one of the catalysts that propelled Germany-based Tailwinds Shipping Lines GmbH & Co KG to set-up its intra-Asia regional hub there.
“Malaysia is the economic heart of the entire Southeast Asian region. It offers unparalleled connectivity to Asean markets.
“Adding Northport as our regional hub was the logical next step to reinforce our values," Tailwinds Shipping Lines chief executive officer Christian Stangl said.
In his speech at the launch of the collaboration at Northport on Saturday (Oct 11), Stangl added that the port is well known for its outstanding, first-class efficiency.
“You deliver super-fast turnaround times and seamless operations. You’ve created a perfectly established, highly dependable infrastructure built for maximum performance," he said.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who launched the event, said recognising the necessity for a strong supply chain mechanism in the freight forwarding industry, Malaysia has taken the necessary measures to address the need.
Loke added Malaysia is working towards providing the industry an all-encompassing logistics network to establish a strong supply chain mechanism.
“We all know that right now the world is impacted by a lot of disruptions, especially in many parts of the world where you do not know when these disruptions will happen.
“And so, supply chain resilience is the key word right now to your customers," said Loke.
He assured industry players they would not need to worry when disruptions occur in the South China Sea waters as having a hub at Port Klang was an option to counter the problem.
Loke said Port Klang was located at a very strategic point in the Straits of Malacca and when shipping lines came into Malaysia, they were basically connecting between Europe and Asia both via sea and land.
The minister explained that the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project will pave the way for connectivity throughout the Asian continent, not only via sea but also via the railway lines, in the next two to three years.
“And most importantly we also want to link-up all the river network not only within Malaysia, but all the way to Thailand.
“Why Thailand? Because the moment we link with Thailand, we can link to the entire Asian continent," said Loke.
He added moving up to the north from Thailand will see arrival at Laos from where freight can go all the way to China.
“That is what we envision from the Pan-Asian river network, which means if you come to Port Klang or have a box or container coming from Europe, you can basically reach any part of Asia or vice versa," said Loke.
He added that if a box or container is coming from China, it can come to Northport through the alternative routes and then make its way to Europe by ship.
Loke also said the Transport Ministry is creating a more pro-business environment by simplifying the various processes required for shipping lines to come here.
“We have implemented the Malaysia Maritime Single Window and when your ships call at a port, it is very simple and easy,’’ said Loke.
Also, at the event was Tailwinds Shipping Lines chief executive officer Christian Stangl and MMC Port Holdings Berhad chief executive officer Datuk Azman Shah Mohd Yusof among others.
