Asia/Pacific News
Malaysian Port City Project "Complementary," Not Competition to Singapore: Port Klang Chairman
Malaysian plans to develop a $45 billion industrial port city at Carey Island will be "complementary rather than competition" to Singapore, Kong Cho Ha, the chairman of Port Klang Authority, has told local media.
"Singapore is also building a big terminal at Tuas which is 65 million TEUs; whereas for Carey Island, we are only talking about developing the port in phases - maybe up to a maximum of 30 million TEUs only," said Kong.
A proposal for the port industrial city, which could be operational by 2025, is noted to have already been submitted to the Malaysian government.
If the proposal receives approval, the port city would span more than 100 km2 on the island next to Port Klang, featuring free trade zones, residential and commercial developments, and other associated infrastructure.
"By 2025, the other terminals on Port Klang - such as West Port and North Port - would have already reached their capacity," said Kong.
"Also, the infrastructure - roads and utilities for example - at these terminals cannot support continual growth; and cannot support the increasing vehicle volume that is moving in and out of the port."
In November, Ship & Bunker reported that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Toyota Tsusho Petroleum and T.A.G. Marine would help to realise Malaysia's planned 12.5 billion ringgit ($2.84 billion) Kuala Linggi International Port (KLIP).
Earlier this month, Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo said that potential economic impacts on the world's largest bunkering port stemming from the expansion of KLIP still remain unknown.
