KUCHING, July 20 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook today said the federal government is still negotiating with the Sarawak government on the proposed takeover of Bintulu Port Sdn Bhd.
He said he had met with Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah a few months ago on the takeover of the port, the country’s main port for liquefied natural gas.
“After the meeting, we have initiated a working committee at the ministry level and it is discussing with the state government behind the scenes,” he told reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the takeover of the rural air services from MASwings by the Sarawak government.
He said the proposed takeover has also been discussed at the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) committee level.
He said it was mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof yesterday after the MA63 technical committee meeting.
Loke said the proposed takeover will be further discussed at the various committee levels.
Earlier this year, Uggah said the state government wanted Bintulu Port to be part of the cluster of state ports, under a Central Port Authority which will be incorporated by state law.
He had said that the plan to take over Bintulu Port was to improve and enhance the efficiency of port services, port security through the installation of vessel traffic management system, aids to navigation facility, crane, dredging works and exploring new business opportunities.
Uggah, who is also the state minister of infrastructure and port development, said the state government had allocated a sum of RM4 million for the master plan study, starting with the Miri Port Authority.
