Transport Ministry holds dialogue to resolve port congestion
Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong has instructed the Port Klang Authority (PKA) to resolve the congestion at Westports and Northport by expediting the checking of containers through both terminals.
The decision was made after Wee chaired a dialogue together with relevant agencies, associations and other stakeholders involved or affected by the congestion at the port terminals...
Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong has instructed the Port Klang Authority (PKA) to resolve the congestion at Westports and Northport by expediting the checking of containers through both terminals.
The decision was made after Wee chaired a dialogue together with relevant agencies, associations and other stakeholders involved or affected by the congestion at the port terminals.
"I have directed PKA to organise a taskforce immediately with the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (Maqis), Customs, Westports and Northport to expedite the checking of containers going through both terminals.
"I understand Customs will ramp up manpower needed to process clearances while Maqis will increase its checks to 200 containers per day from 100 currently," he said on Facebook today.
Wee also urged customers to pick up their containers from the port as soon as possible.
"It is also the responsibility of the customers to collect their goods once cleared by Customs and Maqis.
"Today, out of 246 containers cleared by the authorities, only 83 containers or one-third were collected within 24 hours. This adds to the ongoing congestion," he said.
Wee added that PKA has explained that the terminals at Northport and Westports are experiencing congestion due to a sudden surge of vessels and containers arriving as of late, a scenario that is similar in major ports in the region and elsewhere.
"This sudden surge is also due to delays from their preceding ports including in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, for a myriad of factors.
"To mitigate this issue, Westports had already widened its space for extra TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) containers by 6,000 ground slots.
"Of this, 600 containers have been allocated for reefer containers (refrigerated containers) so that there is more space for perishables and foodstuff to be checked and expedited to the market," he said.
The minister advised industry players to continue engaging and coordinating with the authorities to reduce the congestion as it can only be fixed when everybody plays their role.
"External factors, especially during the pandemic scourge, are also unavoidable," he said, adding that the ministry is ready to hear views to mitigate issues faced by affected businesses.
The meeting today was attended by Ng Chet Chiang, who chairs the logistic and transport committee of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Malaysian Retailers Association vice-president Ameer Ali Mydin, and Shipping Association of Malaysia chairperson Ooi Lean Hin.
Since the past month, the business community has been plagued by the congestion at the port terminals, which caused imported goods such as perishable food, which could have been collected within two days, be delayed for pick up and delivery for up to a week.
On Dec 24, PKA gave its assurance that congestion at the port was being addressed and will be resolved soon.
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