News
Johor Port Hits Record 1 Million TEUs of Containers in 2019
16 December 2019 - Edge Market
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 16): Johor Port Bhd has handled a record 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers in 2019, up 10.5% from a year earlier.
In a statement today, the port operator said a ceremony today to mark the achievement was officiated by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
Loke said Johor Port is already designated as an approved delivery point under some international commodity exchanges such as LME, CME/KLCE and APEX.
Loke said as a full-fledged multi-purpose port and with its wide shipping connectivity, Johor Port should develop as a trading centre and cargo transhipment hub.
"It should be a natural progression for Johor Port to be a regional cargo hub, leveraging on its strategic location being within 2.5 hours from the commodities market.
"Developing Malaysian ports into RDCs (regional distribution centres) is also the aspiration of the government," he said.
Loke added that it was towards this end that he has taken the initiative to waive the approved permit (AP) requirement for some of the soft commodities entering and transiting in our free zone ports.
He also praised Johor Port for taking proactive measures to overcome its various constraints over the years especially in terms of navigational constraint and has since grown to become the Premier Southern Gateway Multi-Purpose Port in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, MMC Corp Bhd group managing director and Johor Port chairman Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said the 1 million TEUs achievement can be attributed to several key factors, which include overall improvement in the container handling productivity and equipment reliability such as the 94% effective berth utilisation rate and the 98% truck turnaround time of below 60 minutes; and better communications and information sharing with customers individually or through associations like Shipping Association Malaysia (SAM), Johor Freight Forwarders Association (JOFFA), Johor Port Shipping & Forwarding Association (JPSFA) and Association of Malaysian Hauliers (AMH).
He said since its establishment in 1977, Johor Port has facilitated the export-led economic growth of the more than 28 industrial areas in Johor State by providing world-class container terminal services to the container shipping industry and the export/import community in Pasir Gudang, Tanjung Langsat and surrounding hinterland including Singapore and nearby Indonesian islands.
Che Khalib said Johor Port will continue striving to transform and propel the port to even greater heights, and to build a resilient culture that will stand the test of time.
He said that moving forward, Johor Port has put in place a Port Re-Development Plan to further improve the performance of its terminals including various productivity improvement and equipment upgrading initiatives and will continue to invest to ensure that the port becomes even more efficient in order to meet the needs of its customers and that Johor Port remains as the Premier Southern Gateway Multi-Purpose Port.
At the midday break today, MMC Corp shares fell 3% or 3 sen to 97 sen, for a market capitalisation of RM2.95 billion.