Penang Port Commission (PPC) chairman Tan Cheng Liang (left) leading Bangladesh Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan on a visit to the Penang International Cruise Terminal at the Swettenham Pier.

PENANG and Bangladesh Chittagong ports are currently in discussions to become sister ports in an effort to enhance co-operation between the two harbours.

Penang Port Commission (PPC) chairman Tan Cheng Liang said both parties had discussed the proposal and the commission hoped that a memorandum of understanding could be inked soon.

She said the move was an initiative to foster a closer relationship among ports elsewhere.

She said this in her speech during a visit from Bangladesh Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan to the Swettenham Pier and North Butterworth Container Terminal yesterday.

Shahjahan said he welcomed the sister port suggestion to enhance the relationship between the both states.

“Bangladesh is a developing country and the purpose of the visit is to have a greater understanding in running a modern port. Based on the knowledge, we hope to develop our own maritime sector, especially our two main seaports,” he said.

Chittagong is the bigger of Bangladesh’s two main seaports, the other is Mongla port.

Speaking to reporters during a tour of Penang International Cruise Terminal at Swettenham Pier, Tan said a sister port agreement with Chittagong would allow both parties to have a better understanding with each other.

“Aside from increasing trade between the two ports, a sister port relationship could also give us a boost in pooling together our experience and data resources, human resource training and would enhance our bilateral relationship,” she said.

Penang has previously signed a sister port pact with the Siam seaport in Thailand while the Penang port will be Chittagong’s first sister port if an agreement is signed.

By:  The Star Online

PENANG: Bangladesh is keen to make the Penang port its sister port as part of efforts to enhance trade and relationships between the two nations, its Minister of Shipping, Shahjahan Khan, said.

He said Bangladesh, a developing country, was keen to have a greater understanding of the operations of a modern port such as the Penang port.

“We do not have any sister port and we feel that the Penang port will be ideal,” he told a media briefing after a tour of the newly-completed Swettenham Pier International Cruise Terminal here on Tuesday.

Shahjahan is leading a delegation on a visit to Penang port.

Accompanying them were Penang Port Commission chairman Tan Cheng Liang and Penang Port Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya.

He said he would discuss the matter with Bangladesh prime minister soon.

“I hope to sign the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Penang port soon. We are impressed with the development of the port here,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tan said she hoped the MOU could be signed soon as it would help enhance the development of the ports.

“If we sign the MOU with the port, especially Chittagong port, it will help strengthen the relationships between the two nations in terms of port operations,” she said.

She said Penang port has made a steady progress since it was privatised in 1994 and its throughput increased by 3.1 per cent to 958,476 twenty-foot equivalent (TEUs) last year from 929,639 TEUs in 2008.

Tan said the Penang port would undertake projects including the acquisition of container equipment and increase the post-Panamax gantry cranes to 16.

She said the newly-completed international passenger ship terminal at the Swettenham Pier International Cruise Terminal was expected to attract one million passenger arrivals this year.

“With the capabilty of the terminal to receive bigger ships it is expected that the number of passengers staying over in Penang will increase.

“The terminal also has facilities for ferries plying between Penang and Langkawi and between Penang and Medan, Indonesia,” she said.

The 15,000 sq ft terminal also has houses the Customs and Immigration offices and quarantine area. – Bernama

As part of the broadening relationship between Malaysia and Kenya, a sister-port agreement was signed between Kenya Ports Authority  and Port Klang Authority.  To further enhance the traditional relationship and mutual understanding between both the port authorities as well as Port Klang Operators in Malaysia and Mombasa Port of Kenya.  The sister-port agreement signed on 27^th November 2006 was witnessed by General (Rtd) J.R.E. Kibwana, Chairman Kenya Ports Authority.  Port Klang Authority was represented by Y.B. Dato’ Yap Pian Hon, Chairman and Y.Bhg. Datin Paduka O.C. Phang, General Manager whilst Kenya Ports Authority was represented by Mr Abdallah Hemed Mwaruma, Managing Director and the Corporation Secretary.

The establishment of a sister-port agreement was initially mooted during the 5^th Pan African Ports Conference and the International Association of Ports Harbours (IAPH) Europe/Africa Regional Meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya from 4^th – 8^th December 2005.  Based on the agreement, both ports have agreed to co-operate in a wide variety of fields, especially on port studies, staff training, information exchange and more importantly finding ways to develop mutually beneficial cargo and cargo traffic services between the two ports, in particular and the countries in general.

The sister-ports agreement strengthens the existing traditional friendship and mutual understanding between the people of Kenya and Malaysia and this relationship is in line with the South-South Co-operation initiated by the Malaysian Government of which Port Klang Authority is a member. Besides that the Kenya High Commission also played a vital role in the formation of this relationship through an active pursuance of ensuring the agreement materialized soonest possible.

This sister-port agreement could provide a good platform for enhancing Port Klang’s efforts in tandem with the government’s aspiration to develop business relationships between the two countries as an extension of the well established government-to government relations. South-south co-operation enhance and facilitate trade and investment linkages among developing countries. In this regard, Malaysia and Africa see economic progress as best attained through fair trade, rather than aid.

In the year 2005, Port Klang handled a total of 117412 FWT of cargo throughput from trade with Kenya. The signing of the sister-port agreement is a significant step for Port Klang as it opens up to closer relationship with East-African Ports. The Port Of Mombasa in Kenya positioned as the gateway to Eastern Africa, will provide Port Klang and Malaysia the platform to penetrate and explore new markets, especially among the countries in Eastern Africa such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. With this sister-port agreement, Port Klang is confident that there will be a tremendous trade development and improvements with Kenya.

A sister-port agreement between these ports provides new avenues for smart partnership arrangement to foster mutual co-operation. This is the beginning of a new era of co-operation which will not only benefit both countries but help to bring the Asian region close to the African Continent.