Malaysia Promotes Its Ports ited Phnom

In an ongoing effort to replace Singapore as the region’s international transport hub, a consortium of Malaysian businessmen visited Phnom Penh on Tuesday to persuade exporters to use a new system designed to streamline shipments through Malaysian ports.

Through the system, named “i-Port Transhipment,” domestic goods shipped from Sihanouk­ville port to Kuantan port on Mal­aysia’s east coast would be directly transported to Kuala Lumpur Inter­national Airport and flown to their final destination using a simplified customs documentation process.

The system essentially cuts out the middle man once goods reach the Malaysian ports. In­stead of needing an agent at the port to ensure goods reach their cor­rect destinations, as they do in Singapore, exporters can use i-Port to handle shipping to the airport and the ensuing flight. All shipments can be tracked online.

“For shippers in Cambodia, through i-Port, we now offer you a new concept,” said Rosli Md Ya­sin, Malaysia Airlines senior man­ager for corporate affairs, dur­ing a presentation at the Holi­day Villa hotel. “This service of­fers a viable alternative.”

Breaking into the market here may prove difficult for the i-Port group. Some exporters indicated that even if the system worked efficiently, they would still prefer to use an agent and ship through Singapore. “It is safer to work through an agent,” said Chenda Chaj, marketing manager at DHC Freight Co Ltd, which exports telephone equipment mostly through Singapore.

Also, the country exports little but garments, and garment manufacturers seem content shipping their goods through Singapore.

“Nobody has any complaints about going through Singapore,” said Roger Tan, managing director of Thai-Pore Garment Manu­fac­turing Co Ltd and secretary-gen­eral of the Garment Manu­facturer Association of Cambo­dia.

Getting through Singaporean customs is not a problem, and no­body complains about port connections or transfers, said Tan, who is from Singapore.

“That doesn’t mean that Malay­sia cannot challenge for business,” he said. “But nobody needs an alternative. Sin­gapore is still going to be the main port.”