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The RM322.42 million Sapangar Bay container port at Kota Kinabalu that is
being developed by Sabah Port Sdn Bhd, is now at the final stage of
construction.
According to the chairman of Suria Capital Holdings Berhad, Tan Sri Ibrahim
Menudin what would be the first dedicated container terminal in Sabah with a
shore-side quay crane operation the terminal will be fully commissioned by
early next year.
Suria Capital Bhd owns Sabah Port Sdn Bhd that operates seven port terminals
in Sabah.
Once operational, it will be turned into a dedicated container hub capable
of handling two container vessels of up to 2,500 TEUs at one time and a
container stacking area of 15 hectares.
Menudin said the port would also further enhance its operational efficiency
through the upgrading of port facilities while expanding the capacities,
investment in new and modern equipment.
For this purpose the group will be investing in excess of one billion
ringgit.
A total of RM485 million has been approved and not contracted out by the
management for the purchase of various cargo handling equipment. In addition
to that RM608 million has been approved by the board for improvement of
seven ports – Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, Kudak, Kunak, Lahat Datu, Sapangar
Bay and Sapoorna - infrastructure facilities.
The port expansion also takes into account the development of the state's
palm oil industry.
To meet the industry needs, Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd is currently active in the
extension works and development of new oil jetties for the State's Palm Oil
Industrial Clusters (POICs) in Lahad Datu, Kunak and Sandakan.
Ports in Sabah not only hope to act as key entry and exit points for exports
or imports for the State, they have the potentials to be transformed into
the transit points for goods coming from the neighboring countries.
Being in the strategic location of the BIMP-EAGA region, Sabah ports can
foster important trading links for the country and also for the region.
Meanwhile, in terms of throughput, total tonnage at the seven ports
increased by 6.2 per cent to 26.16 million tonnes in 2005 from the year
earlier.
The strong global demand for palm oil from Sabah continued to impact
positively on the port activities during 2005.
Palm oil cargoes which passed through the ports particularly in Lahad Datu,
Sandakan and Kunak, posted a significant increase of 12.0 per cent from 5.0
million tonnes in 2004 to 5.6 million tonnes in 2005.
The commodity became the ports' main revenue earner during the year, making
up about 28 per cent of the total cargoes handled in 2005. Sabah is the
largest oil palm producing state in Malaysia. Palm oil has been contributing
about 30 per cent of total exports of the State. |
