BINTULU, Oct 2 — The Bintulu Port’s inefficiency on freight operations and lack of manpower ought to be dealt with, said Democratic Action Party (DAP) Bintulu branch publicity secretary Chiew Chan Yew.
Chiew had recently held a press conference here to highlight the existing, persistent problems at the Bintulu Port and the urgent need for improvement.
“Despite being Malaysia’s third largest port with cargo handling record of 50 million tonnes in 2022, the users still face a multitude of problems,” he said, calling Bintulu Port one that is far from having a world-class port environment.
“Bintulu Port has operated since 1983, with its operational methods remaining unchanged for 40 years.
“Unlike Bintulu Port, foreign ports do not shut down operations due to minor weather conditions. This has caused losses, leaving the users feeling unjustly treated despite paying for the services.
“Why do these issues still persist? With mechanical failures, manpower problems, and complex procedures, all of these, are a burden to the users,” he said, adding that the port users have had to pay additional costs for the authority’s inefficiency.
“These problems reflect the failure of the department in charge and if they are not immediately addressed, they will only get worse.”
Chiew suggested that the government let the private sector be involved in the port industry so as to enhance competitiveness and for the port to earn a world-class reputation, as well as to have capable leaders be in charge of the deep-water port.
Adding on, he said he would send a letter to the federal Transport Ministry on this matter.
“Even though the port’s board of management board is recommended by the Sarawak government, their performance is disappointing,” he said, while expressing concern for the port’s declining inbound traffic.
He added that Sarawak’s freight industry may no longer be attractive to users if these existing problems are not taken seriously.
Meanwhile, Joseph Ling, with 34 years of experience as a Bintulu Port user, shared the various issues he has constantly dealt with the port authority.
Among the issues, he said, were the persisting malfunctions of cranes and forklifts and the halting of operation even on days of light rainfall during monsoon season.
“Sarawak does not experience typhoon seasons, so halting operations for such light rain is unacceptable,” he said.
“This is further complicated with the authority’s delayed notices, causing the ships to wait for days or even longer in the open sea prior to unloading, and this additional expenses are borne by the port users,” he lamented.
Ling also claimed that when it came to mechanical failures at the port, the response they received was ‘lack of budget’.
He added as a food entrepreneur, the delay in shipping could result in food spoilage and huge losses for him. — Borneo Post Online
