Its executive director Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman said that three super post-Panamax quay cranes and the 1.2 million sq metre container yard would be available by then to facilitate the trial exercise.

He said the cranes were currently in various stages of assembly by supplier Impsa (M) Sdn Bhd while construction of the 110,000 TEUs container yard was being carried out at a feverish pace.

On Friday, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik is scheduled to witness the handing over ceremony of the two berths measuring 360m each by the contractor to PTP.

"We are confident to bring forward commercial operation by December with Berth One and Two.

"The remaining four berths under Phase One will be phased-in in pairs by mid-2000 and mid-2001 respectively," he said in an interview in Johor last week.

As PTP drew closer to its opening, he said the port had been busy showing its facilities to potential clients and investors.

Last week alone, it had to accommodate back-to-back site visits by interested shipping-line representatives and investors in its 810ha industrial plot.

The representatives were pleased to see the rapid development of the port which they said would offer a viable alternative to established ports in the country and region.

A major factor which attracted them was that PTP was new and thus flexible and willing to discuss problems facing freight forwarders.

PTP executive chairman Mohd Taufik Abdullah and Sidik, briefed the visitors on details of developments and facilities.

In a discussion, the delegation members raised various issues relevant to the industry and related how they were willing to work with PTP in making the region's newest transhipment port a success.

They were taken to the completed berths No. 1 and No. 2, the Port Administration Building and the access road followed by a tour of the IT training centre housed in PTP's Parallel Processing Building.

The delegations were impressed by the gates to the port entrance, the seven lanes in and seven lanes out as well as the fact that PTP's access road will ready early next month.

As it nears the start of operations, PTP is engaging all sectors in the port and shipping industry to ensure that valuable feedback in its current usage of other ports is taken into account in developing the port as a transhipment hub.

This will help establish effective, smart partnerships between PTP and various companies in the sector.

PTP views the visits as important not only for marketing but also to develop international understanding and co-operation in the confidence that parties can begin a mutually beneficial process.

Among the facilities in Phase One of PTP's development are six linear berths totalling 2.16km in length, a 1.2 million sq metre yard for container handling and storage activity, a port administration building and government agencies complex, a purpose-designed IT network system using a dual redundancy approach, a 5.4km access road linking PTP to the second link expressway to Singapore and a 31.5km rail link to the national rail grid.

With these facilities, Phase One will be able to handle an annual throughput of 3.8 million TEUs.

Mohd Sidik said that PTP was holding serious discussions with 10 potential investors in the food processing, cargo warehousing and cargo consolidating businesses who were attracted by the vast space in the port's free trade zone.

On its marketing campaign, he said the focus was on regional liners at this initial stage of PTP's operation where only two berths could be offered.

Mainline operators (MLOs) are looking at dedicated terminal services which would be feasible in the later stage.

"Nonetheless, we are talking to the MLOs and seeing how we can customise our services to their needs.

"There are some MLOs that are considering repositioning their calls on certain service routes to PTP yet retaining their business ties with Singapore's PSA Corp.

"PTP will become the alternative which previously was not there for shipping lines which carry a variety of products that require different types of services. With its available space, PTP will be the solution for non-time sensitive goods that need to stay in port for a while," he added.

Asked about PTP's manpower recruitment exercise, he said "a substantial number" of Malaysians working in neighbouring ports see PTP's development as an opportunity to return to Malaysia where their expertise could be harnessed.

He said that PTP was willing to pay good rates for the right expertise to ensure smooth operations at the port.