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The pace with which Port Klang Authority has been signing "sister port" agreement recently has been strongly criticized by industry sources which said it was a sheer waste of time and money.
According to an industry source, considering the fact that in the maritime industry ports worldwide operate under an "open" port policy (unlike in aviation where only some countries offer "open skies" policy), the move by PKA to sign the sister port agreements was totally superfluous, irrelevant and unnecessary.
"This only brings to mind the spate of bilateral air and maritime agreements which the air and maritime divisions in the Ministry of Transport concluded in the 1980s that eventually proved unnecessary," the source said.
That was the time when Malaysia held the record for the largest number of bilateral air agreements signed, ostensibly as an alternative to "open sky" policy adopted by several countries.
It also held the claim to fame with the largest number of bilateral maritime agreements that proved ineffectual and useless.
"The passage of time revealed that both, the air and maritime agreements concluded were nothing more than a puerile attempt to demonstrate bureaucracy at work," the source added.
Now, it seems the experiences gained in concluding the worthless air and maritime agreements are being extended by Port Klang Authority to sign bilateral agreements with ports to create a track record that has no economic use or political purpose.
In less that 24 months more than half a dozen sister port agreements have been signed, including with ports which one has to look up the atlas to find out its location.
Just how PKA, or Malaysia, will gain to a sister port agreement with, Port of Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), a port that handles about a tenth of Port Klang cargo volume, or the Port Autonome de Conakry (Republic of Guinea) no one knows.
However, PKA's chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ting Chew Peh expressed confidence that the arrangement would further enhance the spirit of co-operation between both our countries to tap the benefits arising from recent trends and developments in shipping and international trade as a result of globalisation.
Dr Ting Chew Peh said this at the signing of the agreement with San Antonio Port in Chile recently.
PKA general manager Datin Paduka O.C. Phang who accompanied Dr Ting half way around the globe, signed the agreement with the Chilean port.
PKA has signed similar agreements with the Port of Brisbane (Australia), Port of Dakar (Senegal), Port of Marseille Authority (France) and just recently Port of San Antonio, (Chile).
PKA has also signed with Yemen Ports Authority.
A shipping source said the claim that these agreements could foster commercial ties was an exaggerated claim and indeed vague.
PKA said the sister port arrangement would also look at the commercial benefits in terms of traffic volumes, market access and expansion, inter-port co-operation in port development, human resources training, technology transfer, and in other areas of mutual interest that would enhance the image and role of both ports in a competitive environment.
"At the rate the agreements are being signed Malaysia, and going by the rationale advanced by PKA, it would probably need to conclude agreements with about 300 ports worldwide with which trade links exist," the source noted.
Why then the haste and the need for PKA to conclude sister port agreements, especially in an era of globalisation and in an industry that observes open port policy?
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