A group of Labuan port users have complained that the privatisation of Labuan Liberty Port since one and a half years ago has caused them many problems and their complaints to the authorities seemed futile.

Pua Ket Shin, a regular port user, claimed that port users were subjected to "unfair charges" since the government port warehouses and the container yard in the Labuan port were privatised to a DPML Corporation, which was found to be a RM2 shell company.

"Now we have to pay ridiculous charges," said Pua, adding that DPML did not have any fixed charges, even imposing charges for space rental and management fee.

"Our company has to pay RM80 extra now for each container because of such new charges," Pua said.

Pua told malaysiakini that the port users held two meetings with several government agencies to discuss their problems but there is no satisfactory outcome to date. Among the agencies involved were the the Labuan Port Authority and Labuan Marine Department, the latter being the previous operator jointly with the Customs Department.

In their last meeting held on the March 30, representatives of shipping companies such as MISC Agency Sdn Bhd, Bumiputra Shipping, Ket Shing (Labuan) Sdn Bhd, Bumi Bakti Agency, Tumpuan Utama Sdn Bhd, Pan Sarawak Company, AB Enterprise and Rakyat Distributor met with the Sabah Marine Director, Zulkarnain bin Ayub.

The port users generally felt that they were spending less for the port transportation and storage services before the privatisation.

"Until now, there was no concrete action taken by the authorities, including the Federal Transport Ministry, to solve our problems," Pua said.

Meanwhile, DPML Corp, when contacted by malaysiakini, its spokesman Yussof Mohammad said that it has the legitimate right to charge port users because it has legally rented the warehouses and container yard from the government.

He maintained that the "charges" are imposed "within the framework of the law".

He added that that it is the company's right to charge the port users because they are "providing services for the users". He stressed that the port users are merely paying for the better services that DPML Corp is providing them.