Transport Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Donald Lim Siang Chai said although the port had attracted big clients like Mearsk Sealand of Denmark and Taiwan’s Evergreen, PTP should not rest on its laurels.

He said the list should not stop with the two major lines only and the government was confident that PTP’s marketing promotions worldwide would enable the port to attract other major shipping companies.

“As port competition is becoming more and more intense globally, PTP should come out with new or innovative ideas in order to attract more clients,” Lim.

Lim said PTP only started operating in October 1999 but had proven that it was the fastest growing port in the world handling 2.05mil TEUs in 2001, only in the second year of operations as no other ports had achieved that.

He said the port was able to ward off stiff competition in the industry and had reached out to its potential clients with tailor-made packages to meet the individual need of shippers realising the fact that no two shippers have similar needs.

Lim said Malaysian ports should emulate PTP as ports could no longer build facilities and wait for users to come by and a two-tier marketing approach involving both corporate and niche market.