It will act as a catalyst in growth and trade among Southeast Asia's nations and the world.

PTP's superb location at the doorstep of the dynamic economic growth that engulfs Johor and neighbouring Singapore will be a boom to investors, its chief executive officer, Encik Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman said this at the Malaysia Dutch Business Council luncheon yesterday.

"PTP was built out of a vision to establish a transhipment hub in the dynamic economic region of Southeast Asia and to cater to the world's growing trade," he said.

"Malaysia's newest port, catering to the needs and demands of users, has been planned, designed and built with the customers in mind," he added.

"Today, five years after signing a privatisation agreement with the Federal Government, we have just been officially opened and are in the midst of focusing in attracting main lines," he said.

To meet the increasing demands and challenges of the maritime sector, PTP offers one of the world's most advanced port facilities driven by a primary objectives to be a premier world class port offering reliable, efficient, advanced facilities and services.

He said being a port in the new millenium, PTP has a cutting-edge IT system and latest in technology ensuring the best in facilities.

Located at the end of South-West Johor, at the mouth of Pulai river, PTP is expected to fuel the rapid economic growth in Southeast Asia.

Situated at a sheltered bay in naturally deep waters of 15 meters, PTP is just 45 minutes away from one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, ensuring minimum deviation time into the port.

The port will also well connected by a vast network of transportation that connects to the world.

An excellent highway system will see PTP linked by road from Thailand through Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and also from Singapore via a 5km access road link to the Malaysia-Singapore second link expressway. A rail link to the national rail grid at Kempas ready by January 2002 and with nearby Changi and Senai International Airports, PTP will enable fast distribution and re-export, be it by land, sea or air.

Facilities at PTP include 8 linear berths of 2.16 km in length, state-of-the-art equipment, including 18 Super Post Panamax quay side cranes, 58 Rubber-Tyred Gantry cranes and a full complement of Prime Movers and trailers.

PTP's goal of providing customers with an efficient ratio of fully automated equipment is also well on the track.

It's vast storage area has been designed for volume. The container yard area spans 1.2 million sq. metres, and has a capacity of about 110,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) apart from 2 container freight stations with a floor space of about 10,000 sq. metres each.

Under Phase One which is scheduled to to be completed in mid 2001, PTP will have an annual handling capacity of 3.8 million TEUs.

Mohd Sidik also outlined the features which will be available at the port. This include 420 ha of land available for lease, for industrial , manufacturing or commercial usage, including a distripark area providing mainly distribution and warehousing facilities.

The port, which is also designated as a free zone area, is also ideal for warehousing, offering minimum custom formalities to investors in all aspects.

"PTP has been given approved permit status that will ease importing of goods for assembly at the port and re-export. This further amplifies PTP's status as a transhipment hub for large markets," he said.

With a revolutionary IT system driving all operations into a seamless integration, PTP is confident the generation of fast and efficient moves would spearhead the port's entry into a premier hub for the region.