The Hindu : Business : Malaysia’s Northport, world’s main gateway port

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Saturday, Jan 05, 2008
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Malaysia’s Northport, world’s main gateway port

K. Venkiteswaran

Directly linked to national rail grid operated by KTMB Bhd

KOCHI: Malaysia’s world port, Northport, is pinning much hope on the early completion of the Singapore-Kunming rail line for expansion of the port business to mainland China.

A team of visiting foreign journalists were told by the Northport authorities that the Ministry of Transport of the Malaysian government is pressing Singapore and China for speedy completion of the railway link.

Rail links

At present, cross-border direct connections are available up north to Bangkok and down south to Singapore. These direct rail links have successfully fostered the development of a land bridge, linking the major economic regions in Peninsular Malaysia as well as Thailand and Singapore, Mohd. Faiz Hakim Husain of Northport said.

Northport is directly linked to the national rail grid operated by KTMB Bhd, the national rail corporation. Northport is the only port in the region where trains have direct access to the port to enable straddle carriers to load or unload containers, thus saving time for customers.

The wide and extensive connectivity provided by leading global shipping lines has helped Northport to leverage and emerge as a major regional transhipment hub port. Northport now offers more links to worldwide ports than any other ports in Malaysia and has emerged as one of the most important gateway ports in the world.

In recognition of the international end-to-end supply chain development, Northport has invested heavily in downstream on-dock supporting facilities, products and services. Among these are the dedicated logistics business unit called Northport Distripark, which develops and offers value proposition in not only being a regional distribution centre but also as an international procurement centre and multi-country consolidation centre.

RORO terminal

Northport with a vision to be a leading multipurpose port in the region also offers RORO (roll-on, roll-off) services apart from container and conventional services. A state-of-the-art vehicle terminal centre has been developed to enhance the RORO terminal value chain, the official explained.

He said the port had allocated more than 10 acres of land for this purpose. The import/export vehicle transit centre was strategically located on dock to meet the domestic, regional and international automotive trades. Being a halal hub is one of the identified growth areas by the Malaysian government, central to the industrial master plan 3. As the only Malaysian port having the most extensive global shipping connectivity, Northport at Port Klang offers the critical link in the transport and logistics chain for halal products to the manufacturers and producers in their global market outreach. Well factored in high-growth, Northport can reach out to one-billion global Muslim consumers, manufacturers and producers, Mr. Hakim says.

Northport is fast becoming a halal hub in the region offering value-added services to all its traditional customers worldwide. The national carrier MISC has pioneered the first halal service in the world and Northport is one of the important ports of call.

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