Tanjung Pelepas is set to be port of the 21st century
New Straits Times
Located 45 kilometers from here at the southwestern tip of the peninsula, it will be a modern port with the latest in facilities and services. Phase One, costing RM2.8 billion, is already under way, with the first two of the six planned berths, scheduled to be operational by late next year. "This is a very important port for the economy of the country. Work on the project will not be affected by the economic problem," Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik said. The Federal government was closely monitoring the project to ensure no bottlenecks in development, so that the project would be completed on schedule.
Dr. Ling said Tanjung Pelepas would be a very attractive proposition to world shipping lines because of its absolutely ideal location near the same confluence of major shipping routes that make Singapore the World's leading port. Its other plus points are that it is in sheltered waters with no strong currents and high waves, a short access channel (eight kilometers) from the Malacca Straits, ample deep water at the quayside and abundant land for future development.
"Tanjung Pelepas will not only cater to indigenous and regional shipping lines, but is also well placed to take the spillover of worldwide shipping business from neighbouring Singapore.
"Like the Shenzhen Port in South China and Hong Kong, Tanjung Pelepas is destined to become a very important port in Malaysia".
The project is being developed by Seaport Terminal (Johor) Sdn Bhd under a privatisation agreement with the Federal Government and the Johor Port Authority.
Under the deal, Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas, Seaport's wholly-owned subsidiary, will undertake the construction of the port based on the build-operate-transfer concept.
Under the master plan the port will be constructed in five phases on a 783-hectare site in Tanjung Pelepas up to the year 2020. The area was previously a fishing village.
The affected fishermen have been relocated by the developers, with up to RM220 million paid in compensations for land acquired for the project.
Phase One is scheduled to be completed by early 2000. It will entail the building of six berths offering 2.16 kilometers of wharf length, with full ancillary facilities and state-of-the-art equipment.
The first two berths, which are expected to be operational by late next year will have the capacity to handle about 600,000 twenty equivalent units of containers each.
The capacity would be increased to 800,000 TEUs upon full completion of Phase One. The port would have a 7.7 kilometers road connection to the new Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing Expressway and a rail connection to the national network.