KUALA LUMPUR: Major ports along the Straits of Malacca will be assigned distinct roles to prevent overlapping functions and strengthen Malaysia's logistics competitiveness, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Loke said Port Klang, including the proposed third terminal at Carey Island, would serve as the country's main gateway and central transshipment hub.
Meanwhile, he said the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) would remain the southern transshipment hub, while Midport in Port Dickson focused on specialised cargo and marine support.
"Through this strategic coordination framework, the role of each port has been clearly specified," Loke told the Dewan Rakyat during Minister's Question Time on Tuesday (Oct 6).
He said the strategy would ensure the country's maritime supply chain remained synergistic and resilient while allowing each port to contribute optimally to the national economy.
Loke also said Carey Island's third terminal was necessary as Port Klang had exceeded 73% utilisation of its existing capacity, handling 15.14 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last year.
He said the port also faced constraints involving available land and water depth, with the Carey Island terminal being developed through a public-private partnership at no cost to the Federal Government.
"Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd's expansion of container berths CT10 to CT17 at Port Klang is expected to raise Westports' handling capacity to 28 million TEUs.
"This is expected to bring the total handling capacity of Port Klang, including Northport Terminal, to 34.2 million TEUs.
"This development will strengthen its position among the world's 10 busiest ports," Loke added.
He said PTP's current expansion plans were also vital to meeting current demand and maintaining Malaysia's competitiveness against other regional maritime hubs.
"The expansion is expected to raise PTP's container-handling capacity to 48 million TEUs annually, strengthening Malaysia's position along major global shipping routes," he said.
On Midport, Loke said the privately developed facility would incorporate AI-based automation and smart logistics systems to improve logistics efficiency and facilitate trade.
He said the government's strategy would also strengthen Malaysia's position as a regional maritime and logistics hub.
"This will enable Malaysia to compete with neighbouring ports such as Tuas Port in Singapore, which is expected to have a capacity of up to 65 million TEUs upon full completion," he said.
Loke was responding to a question from Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang) on a comprehensive national port capacity strategic plan to coordinate the respective roles of ports under development.
