Abang Johari (third left) makes his opening remarks during the meeting. Also in the photo are (from left) Jaul, Uggah, Masing, Awang Tengah, and cabinet ministers Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian and Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
MUKAH: The Sarawak port law would be amended to upgrade the state’s port services in order to modernise Sarawak’s ports and enhance their efficiency, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
In a statement released by the Chief Minister’s Office after he chaired the State Development Coordination Committee meeting in Mukah yesterday, Abang Johari reiterated this was the reason why the Infrastructure and Ports Development Ministry was formed and announced in the cabinet reshuffle on
August 22.
Since ports development and services are under the power of the state according to the Federal Constitution, the Sarawak government would amend the Port Ordinance as ports are important to the development of Sarawak as a trading entity,” he said.
“We are competing with other ports in the region and we have to make our ports more attractive as transit ports,” he pointed out in his opening address at the State Development Coordination Committee meeting held at the Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) building in Mukah.
He also told the senior government officers attending the meeting that the Infrastructure and Ports Development Ministry and the State Attorney-General would study the law and Sarawak’s need before coming up with the amendments.
“Ports are important for trade. We have to upgrade our ports for example to enable tracking of movement of vessels in real time.
“Turn-around time for loading and unloading of containers must be reduced in order to be attractive as transiting port,” he said.
Similarly on transportation, he pointed out that the Ministry of Transport was formed to look into the transportation needs of the state.
“Although transport is under the purview of the federal government, we must not forget that road traffic management is the responsibility of the state at the local authority level,” he said.
On the smart city programme, he said it would start in Kuching, especially in the heritage area. The programme among others was designed to mitigate street crime with installation of CCTVs that would be linked to a central data system, he added.
Also present at the meeting were deputy chief ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, state cabinet ministers and assistant ministers and State Secretary Datu Jaul Samion.
Masing is also the Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development.