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By Ashley Sim and Karen Bong
KUCHING, July 20: The Federal Ministry of Transport (MOT) is actively working to lay the groundwork for the acquisition of Bintulu Port by the Sarawak government, which includes handling legislative and terms-and-conditions aspects.
MOT Minister Anthony Loke revealed that the matter was recently discussed during the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Technical Committee meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof, just two days ago.
“Negotiations regarding the Bintulu Port acquisition are currently underway. Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, at the behest of the Premier, is also part of the discussions.
“To facilitate the process, a working committee was formed at the ministerial level, engaging in behind-the-scenes discussions with the Sarawak government.
“The final decision will be reached through high-level deliberations involving both the Federal and Sarawak governments,” he told a press conference after witnessing the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the takeover of Rural Air Services (RAS) by Sarawak government at a hotel here today.
The Sarawak government has expressed its intention to take over Bintulu Port to include it among the State ports managed by a central port authority to be incorporated by State law.
This move aligns with the Federal Constitution and the Sarawak Constitution, which designate ports as being under the jurisdiction of the State government.
At the conclusion of the MA63 Technical Committee meeting, Fadillah mentioned that the Federal government has, in principle, agreed to the Sarawak government taking over the operations of Bintulu Port.
Going forward, Fadillah, Loke, Uggah and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali will convene to address the legal and financial aspects related to the proposed takeover of Bintulu Port.
Specifically, Fadillah explained that they will discuss the amount of reimbursement or payment that Sarawak needs to make to the Federal government, the legal process involved in handing over the port to Sarawak, and the human capital considerations since all the staff currently working at Bintulu Port are considered federal employees.
Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian as well as Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin were present at the MOU signing ceremony. — DayakDaily
