Malaysia's container port throughput registered a moderate growth of 4.5 percent to 12 million TEUs last year, with most of the business accounted for by the west coast ports along the Straits of Malacca.
The five main ports in West Malaysia - Port Klang's Northport and Westport, Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), Johor Port and Penang Port - accounted for 95 percent of the total with the rest taken up by the smaller ports in East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah).
Northport's 2.1 percent decline in container throughput in 2005 was described by some port officials as a disturbing trend. The same trend, say market analysts, was also reflected in the slowdown in PTP's throughput growth of about three percent compared with 15.2 percent growth in 2004. This was a result of diversion of some of the large transhipment cargo from China, usually handled by the two Malaysian ports, as well as the result of increasing direct services from Chinese ports on the Europe and west coast trades, they said.
"After the loss of Maersk-Sealand to PTP three years ago, PSA Singapore worked hard to protect their position through new investments overseas, especially in some Chinese ports, and by offering more competitive rates and services,'' Malaysian-owned regional container operator HUBLine managing director Dennis Ling told Cargonews Asia.
Westport, located north of Northport at Pulau Indah, was the only Malaysian port to register double-digit growth last year with 2.91 million TEUs, up 14 percent from the previous year. Westport has fewer lines than Northport but it has more lines using the port as a transhipment hub and has attained an efficiency level comparable to the best in the world, according to market analysts.
Penang Port in the north of the Malaysian peninsula saw its throughput increase marginally from 772,000 TEUs in 2004 to 794,500 TEUs, representing largely local cargo, with transhipment cargo moving by rail and road to southern Thailand and Sumatra.
PTP's sister port, Johor Port, saw throughput of 836,744 TEUs, largely local cargo from industries located in the southern peninsula. The east coast port of Kuantan saw throughput of 119,000 TEUs in 2005 decline three percent from the previous year's 122,700 TEUs due to the diversion of cargo to west coast ports via road and rail.
The new Bintulu Container International Terminal (BICT), located on the northern Sarawak coast, offers alternative direct services to and from North Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. Apart from HUBline, Evergreen also makes regular scheduled calls at the Bintulu port, with transhipment cargo sent by feeder vessels by smaller lines to other local ports, such as Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, as well as to West Kalimantan ports, such as Pontianak. BICT, East Malaysia's single largest container port, last year handled about 150,000 TEUs, a marginal increase from 2004.
Abdul Nasser, BICT's container terminal operations senior manager, told Cargonews Asia he expected further growth in container traffic this year, with growing containerisation of timber products such as middle-density fibreboard from the timber-rich Bintulu region.
The Senari Container Terminal in Kuching last year handled 143,000 TEUs but its growth is constrained because of shallow draft.
A new container port at Sepanggar Bay, near Kota Kinabalu, is being built, and when completed in two years it is expected to offer facilities for transhipment of cargo to southern Philippines.
Sabah's new port operating company Suria Capital is spending US$40 million on a new container facility, which will have a 200,000 TEU capacity per annum, and complement Kota Kinabalu port that is operating beyond capacity. Kota Kinabalu handled 120,000 TEUs in 2005.
"With better port services and more direct services into the region, one can expect the national container load to be more evenly distributed among ports, especially in Sarawak and Sabah, as well as Brunei,'' HUBLine's Ling said.
Factbox - Throughput of Malaysia's container ports
Westport - 2004(TEUs): 2.51 million; 2005(TEUs): 2.91 million
Northport - 2004(TEUs): 2.69 million; 2005(TEUs): 2.63 million
PTP - 2004(TEUs): 4.02 million; 2005(TEUs): 4.17 million
Johor Port - 2004(TEUs): 803,895; 2005(TEUs): 836,744
Penang Port - 2004(TEUs): 772,000; 2005(TEUs): 794,500
Kuantan Port - 2004(TEUs): 122,700; 2005(TEUs): 119,000
Sarawak ports - 2004(TEUs): 353,373; 2005(TEUs): 360,000
Sabah ports - 2004(TEUs): 210,000; 2005(TEUs): 208,000
Total of 2004: 11.5 million(TEUs)
Total of 2005: 12 million(TEUs)
-Cargonewsasia 20/02/06
