KLANG: Port Klang will remain Malaysia’s most important gateway as well as South-East Asia's most important transhipment hub, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said it is already among the top 10 busiest ports globally, and assured that the government will continue striving for operational efficiency at the facility.
"We will always strive to pursue excellence and good service, not only when it comes to operations but also ensuring our operators have an efficient turnaround time," he said at the opening of Daiso’s Global Distribution Centre (GDC) in Pulau Indah here on Thursday (Nov 5).
He added that optimising ship clearance is among the measures actively pursued, referencing the implementation of the Malaysia Maritime Single Window.
"Here, all port clearances are done digitally. The second phase will also comprise online clearance across multiple agencies to increase port efficiency," he said.
Loke added that Malaysia’s port ecosystem keeps growing, referencing how Westport has a capacity of 14 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while Northport has a capacity ranging from five to six million.
Westport will also be expanding, with the government having approved a third port in Pulau Carey, he added.
"We will continue expanding our ports to handle more capacity and containers. We also hope that companies will continue making Malaysia their global hub," Loke said.
On the GDC, Loke said it is tangible proof of what happens when clear national policy meets world-class private sector investments.
"It sends an unequivocal signal to the world that Malaysia is the regional supply chain and logistics hub of choice," he said.
He added that the scale of the centre’s operations underscores the immense strategic value of Malaysia’s maritime and overland transport infrastructure.
"Being situated immediately adjacent to Port Klang, one of the world’s top container transshipment ports, this facility exemplifies our National Transport Policy in action.
"This connects sea, road and automated warehousing into a seamless, high-velocity freight ecosystem," he said, also noting how the GDC enabled high-value technology transfer.
Loke said that the integration of state-of-the-art warehouse automation and supply chain management practices will further upskill Malaysia’s local workforce into world-class logistics engineers, system specialists and global supply chain leaders.
"The ministry remains committed to supporting investments of this calibre while continuously streamlining port clearance procedures, expanding rail and road connection and accelerating the digitisation of trade documentation to keep Malaysia’s transport network agile, efficient and cost-competitive," he said.
Also present was Daiso Industries Co Ltd president and chief executive officer Seiji Yano and Daiso Malaysia Group Sdn Bhd chairman Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman.
The launch marks the completion and official operational activation of the RM1.2bil flagship facility.
It serves as Daiso’s primary central logistics hub, connecting manufacturing operations across Japan, China and global suppliers to 27 countries throughout Asia and the Middle East.
Spanning 133,666sq m, the Pulau Indah GDC stands as the largest logistics facility ever constructed for Daiso globally.
The hub also integrates Automated Storage and Retrieval System technology utilising sorting precision, inventory turnaround, and fulfilment velocity across more than 1,000 containers including kitchenware, stationery, personal care, cleaning products and lifestyle goods.
