MALAYSIA | Port & Shipping News

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More Ports For Sabah And Sarawak
19th August, 2009

KUCHING: In a move to liberalise the cabotage shipping policy, the government is proposing that more ports be set up in Sabah and Sarawak to reduce freight charges.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said the matter has been raised with the Federal Cabinet and governments of both states.

“I am aware that the people in Sarawak and Sabah are not satisfied with it (liberalisation) as it has not worked as desired. That is why the consumer price index (CPI) is higher in both states than in the Peninsular,” he said during an investment and trade dialogue here yesterday.

He added that the review of the liberalisation policy will likely be completed by next year.

Mustapa was replying to points raised by Osman Abdul Rahman from the Sarawak Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, who claimed that the liberalisation policy was only limited to Bintulu and Kuching ports.

Osman also asked that the ministry review current freight fees to avoid burdening manufacturers with additional costs.

On the delay in issuing the certificate of approval for steel imports, Mustapa said it was due to teething problems and to prevent the country from being used as a dumping ground for sub-standard steel.

Earlier, in his speech at the seminar on manufacturing and services sector, the minister said Sarawak received RM7.3 billion in approved investments in the first six months of this year, accounting for 45.9 per cent of approved investments in the manufacturing sector.

The amount approved included 24.7 per cent or RM1.8 billion from domestic investors while foreign investments accounted for 75.3 per cent or RM5.5 billion.

The chemical and chemical products industry was the major beneficiary with investments of RM5.6 billion, basic metals products (RM1.6 billion) and wood and wood products (RM56.5 million).

Mustapa said foreign investments in Sarawak were the highest recorded in the country, accounting for 52 per cent of the RM10.6 billion approved.

“The approvals indicate a strong participation by foreign investors in the state’s manufacturing sector, particularly in capital-intensive industries,” he said, adding that it was a testimony to the conducive business environment prevailing in Sarawak.

He, however, urged local investors to participate more actively in Sarawak’s economic and industrial development.

The seminar, opened by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, is a platform for local businessmen to provide feedback to the government and to enhance networking with government agencies.

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Maritime Centre Wants Government To Provide More Scholarships
August 19, 2009 17:15 PM

SIBU, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- Pelita Maslaut Maritime Training Centre, Sarawak's only maritime training centre for coastal seafarers here, wants the government to consider giving more scholarships to students intending to become professional seafarers.

Its managing director Masni Amit said if this could be done, the country would not have to rely on foreign manpower mainly from Myanmar, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

"There are many students especially from needy rural families who dream of becoming professional seafarers but they cannot afford the fees and living expenses.

"We certainly need more local seafarers since 60 per cent of those in the industry now are foreigners," he said at the graduation ceremony for 18 engineering officers and 32 marine ratings who had completed their two-and-a-half months courses at the centre on Wednesday.

Masni, with over 30 years experience as a seaman, said his centre could only train 60 trainees a year.

"We want very much to help the country solve its acute manpower shortage in the industry. We have the resources to train at least 100 a year," he said.

He said there was a great future to be made in the career as river and sea transportations were still very important to Malaysia.

He also appealed to shipping companies and other government agencies to help with the scholarships.

Masni said since its inception eight years ago, his centre managed to train a few thousands sailors and engineering officers not only from the state but also from Sabah, Brunei and some Peninsular Malaysia states.

The centre is recognised by the Marine Department and the Transport Ministry to conduct mandatory maritime seafarers' training, certification and watchkeeping course.

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Cargo volume picking up
Monday August 17, 2009
By SHARIDAN M.ALI

PORT KLANG: APL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines, has seen green shoots of cargo volume recovery in the shipping industry since last month.

APL Malaysia managing director Abdul Aziz Toha said cargo volumes were picking up from the lows in January that was seen in Europe, Australia and the Middle East.

“But, year-on-year, the current volume is still lower and there is still not enough cargo to absorb the capacity of idling ships that are sitting around due to insufficient cargo,” he told StarBiz after the commemoration ceremony of APL’s new service, the Korea China Straits (KCS) service, to Northport last week with the vessel APL Dallas.

KCS is a dedicated East Asia service linking South Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and it is one of the industry’s fastest transit times between North and South-East Asia.

According to Aziz, the volume recovery was also seen in APL Dallas’ capacity which saw an oversubscription in in-bound shipment and fulfilled about 80% to 90% of the targeted outbound shipment.

Northport general manager of container and engineering services Abi Sofian Abdul Hamid said APL Dallas calling at Northport was certainly a big boost to Northport, with the port remaining optimistic of achieving growth and productivity.

“This is because the year started off with a great caution to global traders as the world’s economy weakened. It certainly has been a challenging year so far for ports and related businesses.

“However, we are pleased to note that the global economic outlook is heading towards a more positive environment as we enter the third quarter of the year,” he said.

Owing to the challenging business environment, Abi Sofian said Northport was focused on providing greater value for money to shipping lines, which were increasingly addressing cost structures to remain competitive and extending their market outreach.

“The challenges that we face are to continually strive for higher productivity and greater efficiency,” he said.

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Steady rise in sea and airfreight in Penang
Monday August 24, 2009 By DAVID TAN

GEORGE TOWN: The sea and airfreight business in Penang improved in the second quarter by about 12% and 20% respectively from the first quarter.

For the second quarter, sea throughput rose to 163,985 twenty-feet equivalent units (TEUs) from 145,854 TEUs in the first quarter, while air cargo increased to 24,196 tonnes from 19,910.

Penang Freight Forwarders Association (PFFA) president Krishnan Chelliah told StarBiz that the second-quarter results showed the import and export of goods in Penang were gradually improving.

“The last six months have shown a steady increase month-on-month.

“However, compared with the second quarter of 2008, the airfreight business is down by about 33%.

“The sea-cargo business in the second quarter is down about 19% compared with the corresponding period of 2008,” he said.

Krishnan said the air and sea-freight volumes in July were the highest this year.

“This shows that we are recovering and bottoming out. In January 2009, the airfreight volume was the lowest in many years, and from February onwards there was a steady increase of 2% to 3% every month.

“In July, there was a jump of 4%. However, in the sea-freight business the month-on-month increase was 10% to 15%,” he said.

Krishnan said PFFA expected the growth to continue in the second half of this year.

PFFA secretary-general Bryan Kor Hock Choon said the third quarter should see the sea and airfreight business in Penang improve by about 10% over the second quarter, and the fourth quarter by 5% over the third quarter.

“Generally, in December, business slows down for freight forwarders,” he said.

Krishnan also urged the State and Federal Governments to continue attracting foreign direct investments to maintain the momentum of growth and recovery.

Meanwhile, Penang Importers & Exporters Association (PIEA) president Datuk Tan Choo Hin said that for the first six months this year, PIEA members imported about 33,000 TEUs of cargo against about 46,000 TEUs in the previous corresponding period.

“The exporters also exported less in the first six months, shipping about 45,000 TEUs compared with about 70,000 TEUs in the previous corresponding period,” Tan said.

He said imports by PIEA members were lower in the first half because February, March and April were generally slow months, the festive season was already over, and the local demand had weakened.

“The peak season starts from May and lasts till the fourth quarter,” he said.

“Exporters are also doing less business because the number of regional buyers in Asia had dropped.

“At the recent China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, the number of purchasers from South-East Asia dropped by about 30%. We see, instead, more buyers from India and the Middle East,” he said.

Tan said the third and fourth quarters should see an improvement but overall, business this year would not be better than in 2008.

He added that there was “no visibility” as to the business environment for 2010.

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Kenanga cuts profit forecast for Bintulu Port
Published: 2009/08/28

KENANGA Research has adjusted Bintulu Port Holdings' financial year 2009 forecast downwards by 7.6 per cent to account for the one-off lease payment.

"Our financial year 2010 net profit forecast is 1.7 per cent lower after model refinements," the research firm said in a statement today.

Bintulu Port's first half of 2009 net profit of RM67.5 million was slightly below expectations at 47.8 per cent and 46.6 per cent of Kenanga Research's forecast and street's estimate respectively.

The lower result was mainly due to a one-off lease payment in second quarter 2009.

Bintulu Port announced an interim single tier dividend of 7.5 sen.

Quarter-on-quarter, the second quarter declined 11.2 per cent on lower cargo volume across all segments.

In the first half, liquefied natural gas (LNG) volume fell by only 3.7 per cent year-on-year while other cargoes such as dry bulk, break bulk and container dropped 23 per cent to 31 per cent year-on-year. - Bernama

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MISC Sells Four Chemical Tankers For US$14 Mln
September 01, 2009 18:25 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 (Bernama) -- MISC Bhd has completed the en-bloc sale of its Anggerik Class vessels comprising four 29,900 deadweight tonne (DWT) single-hull chemical tankers for US$14 million.

The sale of the vessels, built between 1989 and 1991, was in line with the company's asset management strategy to phase out single hulled vessels.

The national shipping line, in a filing to Bursa Malaysia today, said it only wants to maintain a modern fleet of chemical tankers which was part of its chemical business unit's trading requirements.

-- BERNAMA

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MISC Expands Halal Express Service With New Loop
September 05, 2009 14:10 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 (Bernama) -- MISC Bhd will soon launch the Halal Express Service-Loop 2 that directly connects Far East ports to India and the Middle East region.

The service, to commence on Sept 24, 2009 from Japan, would meet the growing demand for carriage of Halal produce and products, it said in a statement on Saturday.

The Halal Express Service-Loop 2 serves Yokohama, Nagoya, Shanghai, Xiamen, Singapore, Colombo, Nhava Sheva, Jebel Ali, Dammam, Karachi, Port Klang, Singapore and back to Yokohama.

With the new loop, MISC would offer the fastest transit from Yokohama, Nagoya and Xiamen to Nhava Sheva and the ports in Gulf states, the company said.

The service will also offer a direct call from Dammam back to Yokohama, Nagoya, Shanghai and Xiamen.

A total of 6 x 4,500 TEU vessels equipped with 350 plugs per vessel are allocated for the new service.

Both the Halal Express-Loop 1 and 2 provide connections to the Red Sea and Upper Gulf ports, namely Bahrain, Doha, Muscat, Umm Qassar and Shuwaikh via Jebel Ali.

-- BERNAMA

MISC Berhad
www.misc.com.my/
MISC Berhad was incorporated in 1968 as Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Berhad and is the leading international shipping line of Malaysia.

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Langkawi port handles over 500,000 vehicles
Published: 2009/09/18

THE Dermaga Tanjung Lembung (DTL) Port in Bukit Malut, Langkawi has handled 524,637 units of vehicles from the time it began operations in 1997 till July this year.

General Manager of Langkawi Port Sdn Bhd, Muhd Nasir Abdul Aziz said various vehicles had been handled at the port from cars to lorries and buses which were transported either to the island or mainland.

During the period, DTL also handled cargoes amounting to 2,796,811 metric tonnes and 8,331 units of containers.

Muhd Nasir said that for the first seven months of this year, cargo handled amounted to 152,273 metric tonnes, while the number of vehicles handled was 33,425 vehicles and containers 701.

Since Monday, DTL has also handled 1,200 cars with the "KV" plates taken to the mainland for use to transport workers returning to Langkawi to celebrate the Hari Raya Aidilfitri at their respective kampung.

DTL also plays an important role as a main gateway in driving development in the resort island of Langkawi, Muhd Nasir said in a statement today.

The port, which is managed by Langkawi Port, is the main port that handles the entry as well as loading of cargo into the island including that from Thailand and Singapore.

Muhd Nasir said DTL handled three areas, namely general cargo, vehicles and containers.

To facility easier access for ships to call at the port, DTL has also carried out works to deepen the harbour area. The works were completed last month, he said.

The port operator is also in the midst of upgrading its security systems at the port to ensure that all entry and exits at the port are recorded. - Bernama

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Ministry studying application for offshore port in Kuala Kemasin
Published: 2009/09/22

THE Finance Ministry is studying an application for licence from a company to build an offshore port that will serve the oil rig in Kuala Kemasin, Kelantan.

Deputy Finance Minister Senator Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin said the application was reasonable considering that only one such port existed currently in Kemaman, Terengganu.

"This can cause congestion and such a situation can be overcome if a port could be built in Kuala Kemasin," he told reporters at a Buka Puasa dinner with non-government organisations at his residence in Bachok on Saturday.

Dr Awang, who is also Umno chief for Bachok division, said the site for the project has already been approved by the state government.

Building the port in the area will be highly strategic considering its proximity to the oil rig operating in Terengganu, he said.

It will also be close to the oil rigs on international waters and which are joint ventures between Malaysia and Thailand and Malaysia and Vietnam.

Dr Awang said the economic effects on local people would be great especially for fishermen who will be able to carry out their fish trading business.

The private sector, meanwhile, will be able to develop residential units at the port to cater to employees working there.

"I fully support the application," he said. - Bernama

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Penang Port gets EPU nod to split up ops
By Marina Emmanuel Published: 2009/09/25



By forming a new subsidiary to manage its ferry business, Penang Port can make strategic moves at turning around the unit, says its managing director

The Economic Planning Unit (EPU) has given the much-awaited nod to terminal operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) to separate its loss-making ferry operations from its core port business, and make it a subsidiary of the company.

The move by the EPU, a body established under the Prime Minister's Department, is part of a major restructuring plan aimed at facilitating the port operating unit's listing on Bursa Malaysia.

PPSB managing director Datuk Ahmad Ibnihajar said the separation of the two businesses, which is likely to take place this year, will create distinct identities for PPSB's ferry and port operations.

"This restructuring exercise is expected to be endorsed by PPSB's board when it meets on October 9 and we are looking at positioning the ferry operations as a public transport provider like Rapid Penang and the light rail transit service," he told a press conference in Penang yesterday.

Present was PPSB's newly-appointed chief operating officer Azlan Hamid.

Ahmad said by forming a new subsidiary to manage its ferry business, PPSB can make strategic moves at turning around this unit.

"One way to fill our fleet of eight ferries up and ensure that they run optimally is to team up with Rapid Penang.

"We plan to load their buses on our ferries - which currently operate at only 25 per cent capacity - and allow passengers to travel on a single ticket," he added.

He said discussions on the fare structure for this proposed merging of services between PPSB and Rapid Penang will be held with Rapid Penang's chief executive officer Azhar Ahmad soon.

The ferry service, which links Penang island to the mainland, has been a stumbling block to the port opera-ting company's initial public offering.

Last year, ferry losses stood at RM24.6 million, a 71 per cent increase over RM14.4 million in 2007.

"The massive losses last year were due to fuel cost. We are looking at losses of RM14 million this year," Ahmad said.

In July this year, Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadziah was reported as saying that state infrastructure company Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd had been given the mandate by the Finance Ministry to carry out a study on the viability of taking over the ferry service from PPSB.

The public ferry service was absorbed into PPSB as part of its corporatisation deal with the Penang Port Commission in January 1994. Some 6,500 passengers and 3,000 vehicles use the service daily. Passengers pay RM1.20 each, while the fare for a car is RM7.70.

Meanwhile, Ahmad said Penang Port's container throughput for 2009 is expected to match the 2008 volume of 929,639 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units).

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Langsat Terminal: First phase of project done
Published: 2009/09/25

LANGSAT Terminal (One) Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between MISC Bhd, Dialog Group Bhd and Puma Energy Asia Pacific B.V., part of the Trafigura group, has completed Phase 1 of its tank terminal project in Tanjung Langsat, Johor.

The terminal received its first shipment of gas oil from its customer, Trafigura Pte Ltd, on Saturday.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, MISC said the terminal is the first tank terminal project for the company and is its first collaboration with Dialog and Trafigura.

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Penang port to have halal section
Friday September 25, 2009

PART of Penang Port will be turned into a halal section with halal concept facilities by mid-October.

State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said yesterday the Penang Port was discussing with a Syariah compliance logistics company plans to brand Penang as a halal port.

“The Penang Port has already obtained the Syariah family compliance approval in May.

“The state is now having direct discussions with the Rotterdam Port in Holland and with other related logistics companies,” he said.

Abdul Malik said although Penang Port had allocated certain portions of the port area to be turned into a halal port, the areas would be expanded progressively depending on the demand for halal shipments.

“The state will also embark on a drive to create awareness among exporters on the port halal facilities to enable them to trace where the raw materials were obtained from, their packaging and the company used to transport the products,” he said.

He added that once operational, the halal port could take advantage of the opportunites provided by the halal industry in southern Thailand.

Halal products from southern Thailand are currently being exported via Bangkok.

Abdul Malik said the halal port in Penang would be similar to the one in Rotterdam.

It will have cold room facilities, storage areas and other related facilities to store halal products.

He said the state would look into tapping the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMTGT) to attract investors for the halal industry.

“The state is keen to take advantage of the growing US trillion-dollar halal products industry worldwide,” he said.

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Originally Posted by nazrey

Sepangar Port, Sabah (NEW)

EXPANSION PLAN FOR SEPANGGAR PORT
6th November, 2009

KOTA KINABALU: Plan for expansion of the newly completed Sepanggar Container Port Terminal (SPTC) is being foreseen.

Infrastructure Development Minister, Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan yesterday said Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd (SPSB), the government-linked company managing the port, was already mulling on expansion plan to further improve the port’s capacity.

The port, sitting on a 22 hectare land started operation June 9, 2007, has a capacity of 500,000 TEUs but last year it handled only about 200,000 TEUs, as revealed by its Chief Operating Officer, Mohd Sahid Nawab Khan.

However, according to Pairin, since commencing operation it has recorded a commendable increase in terms of operational performance and thus an expansion plan was something to look forward to.

He said the move to privatize the ports in Sabah has resulted in a more efficient management where a steady increase in operational performance has been noticeable.

“Operation wise, the privatization is showing a desirable result as the performance of our port continues to improve. We are heading towards the right direction,” he told reporters here yesterday during a visit to SPTC yesterday.

He said the scale of the expansion would depend on future needs and it would involve increasing the size of the container yard and docking areas.

Pairin who was in his first work visit to the port since taking over the Ministry of Infrastructure Development in May, however regretted that high percentage of empty containers going out from the port has continued.

He said this was due to Sabah still not producing sufficient manufactured product for export.

In the mean time, SPSB Chairman Datuk Karim Bujang explained that Sabah currently exports mainly crude palm oil which does not require the usage of containers.

Sahid added that 70 per cent of the total containers handled that entered through the port last year returned empty and the figure has increased slightly this year.

Other ports around the globe, he noted, were showing similar trend due to global economic slowdown.

Most of the cargos it handles are from Peninsular Malaysia with a small percentage of transit cargos.

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Raising Sepanggar port capacity
Published on: Friday, November 06, 2009

Kota Kinabalu: Plans are underway to increase the capacity of the newly-completed Sepanggar Container Port Terminal (SPTC) in order to meet growing demand.

According to Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, ever since the container port was open for business, it has been recording an upward trend in performance.

Speaking after attending a briefing cum work visit to SPTC, Thursday, he said Sabah Port Sdn Bhd (SPSB) has been mulling over the expansion plan.

This is to further improve the port's capacity to enable it to handle more containers coming into Sabah.

"The port has been recording a commendable increase in terms of operational performance and an expansion plan is necessary and something to look forward to," he said.

This despite the port with a capacity of 500,000 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) handling only about 200,000 TEUs last year as said by its Chief Operating Officer Mohd Sahid Nawab Khan.

Pairin said the privatisation of ports in Sabah has resulted in their management becoming more efficient as reflected by the steady increase of operational performance.

He said that positive performance displayed by the container port showed that it was heading in the right direction.

Explaining the expansion plan, he said it would be carried out based on projected future needs. "The plan would include increasing the size of the container yard and docking areas."

Costing RM400 million over 22ha in Sepanggar opposite the Naval Base, the port commenced operations on June 9, 2007.

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Registry will put Malaysia on world maritime map
Published: 2009/11/16

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. - Bernama

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Govt urged to 'fast track' national port authority
Published: 2009/11/16

THE Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) yesterday called on the government to expedite the setting up of the National Port Authority (NPA).

The purpose of the NPA would be to oversee and streamline the operations of all ports in the country.

The NPA could, among other things, help cut out unhealthy competition among ports by avoiding a duplication of services and facilities, said MTUC vice-president A. Balasubramaniam, who is also the secretary of the Union of Employees of Port Ancillary Services Suppliers.

He said the NPA could also assist in creating uniformity in the wages and terms and conditions of work for the 30,000 workers at the various ports. - Bernama

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MARC downgrades rating on Malaysian International Tuna Port
Published: 2009/11/19

THE Malaysian Rating Corp Bhd (MARC) has lowered its rating on Malaysian International Tuna Port Sdn Bhd's (MITP) RM240 million Bai' Bithaman Ajil Islamic Securities (BAIS) to "D ID" from "BB+ ID".

It has also removed the rating from MARCWatch Negative, first placed on February 19 2009.

MARC said the downgrade follows MITP's failure to make a November 17 profit payment on the BAIS.

Following the downgrade, MARC will discontinue rating surveillance on MITP's BAIS.

A 60:40 joint-venture company between Bindforce Sdn Bhd and the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia, MITP holds a 32-year concession to manage, operate and develop a tuna port at Batu Maung, Penang.

The port was to be developed into a fully integrated fisheries port by 2009, using the proceeds of the BAIS to finance the third phase of construction works at the port.

The construction of MITP's fisheries port was halted as a result of a stop-work order issued by the Department of Environment in September 2007.

With construction stalling and MITP's sinking fund account depleted as a result of draws made to service earlier BAIS profit payments, MARC had earlier highlighted MITP's increased vulnerability to missed payment on November 17 in the absence of full and timely financial support from the government.

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M’sia bids for maritime council post
Tuesday November 24, 2009
By CHOI TUCK WO

LONDON: Malaysia is “cautiously optimistic” of being re-elected for the third time in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

He said Malaysia had been campaigning very hard for one of the 20 seats in the council’s category C for countries with maritime and navigational interests.

Ong said the country had been proactive in its role over the years, especially through international outfits such as the IMO and the International Civil Aviation Organisation, where it also held a council seat.

“We’re of the view that any international law related to maritime should always be enacted with the participation of developing countries such as Malaysia.

“It shouldn’t be dictated in any sense or in any way by a handful of countries,” he said after attending the IMO’s 26th assembly here yesterday.

Ong is leading a 16-member delegation including Port Klang Free Zone chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng, Penang Port Commission chairman Tan Cheng Liang, Transport Ministry’s under-secretary for maritime division Abdullah Yusuff Basiron and Malaysian High Commission’s maritime attaché Raja Datuk Malik Saripulazan.

Twenty-six countries including Malaysia are vying for 20 seats in category C in the elections on Friday. Malaysia was first elected in 2005 and re-elected in 2007.

Ong said he expected a tough fight but added that Malaysian High Commissioner Datuk Abdul Aziz Mohamad as well as other officials, especially Raja Malik, had been working hard in the past months.

Raja Malik said Malaysia had a strong case based on its bidding which projected its trade with respect to maritime transport and navigational safety interests.

He said the country’s exports and imports were hugely dependent on maritime transport and shipping, with 90% of trade relying on international shipping.

Tan said she had spoken with the delegates and received positive feedback towards Malaysia’s third bid for the post.

Lee said it was important for Malaysia to play its role in keeping the Straits of Malacca “open as well as pollution and pirates free” as it was one of the world’s busiest and narrowest straits.

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Originally Posted by nazrey

MISC Integrated Regional Logistics Hub
Source: http://www.misclogistics.com/



Located in Pulau Indah, Selangor, the development of the MLH has been divided into 3 phases of which the completion of the final phase will result in the formation of a 90,000 square meters multi modular storage and processing facility. The first phase, scheduled to be completed in December 2006, will provide 24,000 square meters of warehouse space. Other available services are inventory management, haulage and distribution services, freight and customs management and a container yard. Other value added services include cold store, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), light assembly, Post Delivery Inspection, yard management, sterilisation and fumigation.

Originally Posted by nazrey

ACTi and Aimetis Collaborate to Provide IP Surveillance Solution for Logistic Center in Malaysia
Source: http://www.acti.com/news/Successful_...enter_Malaysia



MISC Integrated Logistics Sdn Bhd (MILS), a wholly owned subsidiary of MISC Bhd the largest Shipping Company in Malaysia with revenue over USD3 billion annually, together with its joint venture partners have a setup a USD 20 million Halal Logistic Hub to cater for the region from the Middle-East to the Far-East. “Halal” is the term for Muslim Kosher food which requires special preparation and storage according to Muslim laws.

The world class logistics centre built on an area of 50acres in Westport, Port Klang Malaysia, offers a complete range of value-added logistics solutions and is supported by the state-of-art IT system comprising of modular operating system linked together by a web based integrated supply chain execution and visibility systems providing linkage to customers’ ERP solutions. The regional hub offers 31,000 pallet positions in its dry, cold and chilled area is link with sea, air and rail mode of transportation.

MISC proposes rights issue to raise RM5.2b
Published: 2009/11/24



MISC will issue 743.97 million rights shares at RM7 apiece, raising RM5.2 billion to fund capital expenditure

MISC Bhd, the world's largest carrier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), plans to raise RM5.2 billion in a rights issue to finance capital expenditure in the domestic and international markets.

MISC said it would issue 743.97 million rights shares at RM7 apiece, a discount of 18 per cent to the five-day volume weighted average market price of its shares up to and inclusive of last Friday of RM8.83.

It will issue one rights share for every five existing shares held.

In its filing to Bursa Malaysia yesterday, MISC said proceeds from the proposed issue will be used to part-finance projects for floating production systems in both the domestic and international markets.
Petroliam Nasional Bhd, which owns 63 per cent of the shipping firm, will take up its pro rata entitlement, and could back the entire rights issue if other shareholders do not subscribe, MISC said.

It also proposed the merger of its local and foreign shares quoted and listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia and an increase in its authorised capital to RM10 billion from RM5 billion.

Following the proposed merger of local and foreign shares, the entire issued and paid-up capital of MISC will be quoted under the local counter.

MISC said the proposed increase in authorised capital was to accommodate any new MISC shares that might be issued in future corporate exercises.

Meanwhile, the group saw an 81 per cent decline in second quarter net profit to RM82.1 million from a year ago, due mainly to lower profit in its petroleum business and higher losses experienced by its liner and chemical units.

Revenue in the quarter ended September 30 2009 fell 20 per cent to RM3.53 billion.

First half earnings and sales were down 67 per cent and 8.4 per cent to RM315.51 million and RM7.42 billion respectively.

MISC has proposed to return to shareholders an interim dividend of 15 sen a share.

In a statement, MISC said the contraction of global trade continued to pose challenges to the shipping industry, as seen in the falling rates for petroleum, chemical and container shipping.

"(However) the liner business segment is expected to show further results improvement with the group's exit from the Grand Alliance (a group of four ocean carriers) in the final quarter of this financial year. The group's earnings from long-term charters in the LNG and offshore businesses will also help to cushion the group from the downward pressure on rates," it added.

MISC shares closed down 1 sen at RM8.80 yesterday.

RELATED LINK: www.misc.com.my/

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Penang Port invests RM1.1bil to upgrade facilities
Published: Wednesday November 25, 2009 MYT 1:09:00 PM

PENANG: Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB), the port operator, has invested RM1.1 billion over the last five years to upgrade infrastructures at the port and Container Terminal as part of initiatives to pump-prime the state economy, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said on Wednesday.

He said the huge investment had indirectly bolstered operations of the port and the terminal, key revenue contributors to the state economy.

Continuous upgrading of infrastructures at the Penang Port and Container Terminal is to provide shipping companies and other port users user-friendly facilities, a crucial element to woo more shipping lines and container vessels to the port and the terminal, he told reporters after a briefing by the port management on Wednesday.

To realise Penang Port's mission to provide world-class shipping services, Guan Eng said the port's latest and efficient logistics would be the yardstick to increase the number of merchant ships and containers anchoring at the port.

The Chief Minister also called on the Federal Government to re-start the RM353 million project to deepen the North Channel at Penang Port to facilitate smooth sailing-in of container vessels.

"If the deepening work is not done in compliance with environmental requirements, it will harm plans to turn Penang into a green state," he said.

He also hoped projects promised for Penang under the current Ninth Malaysia Plan but have not been implemented due to various reasons would be carried forward to the 10th Malaysia Plan. - Bernama