PUTRAJAYA (March 22): The process of changing the status of Bintulu Port to the Sarawak State Port is expected to be completed this year, and the entire operation of the port will be handed over to the Sarawak government by 2025, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

To that effect, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was inked to facilitate the change of status, and it was signed between Loke and Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also the state’s infrastructure and port development minister.

“This MOU is a historic and significant moment,” Loke told reporters after the signing ceremony here on Friday.

The ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

The objective of the MOU is to supervise and launch the process of changing the status of Bintulu Port from a federal port to a state port, so that the transition can be finalised this year.

Loke said a Cabinet memorandum regarding the decision to change the status had been brought to the Cabinet meeting on Friday morning.

He said the Bintulu Port Authority Act 1981 needs to be repealed first before being handed over to the port authority in Sarawak.

“Today (Friday), we signed the MOU to give this commitment to the Sarawak government.

“After this, there are a few more processes that need to be implemented, the first of which is that we have to bring to Parliament to repeal the Bintulu Ports Act, because Bintulu Port was established under an Act of Parliament in 1981,” he said.

In addition, Loke said Labuan Port will be removed from the Bintulu Port Authority Act 1981 since the Act was also used to extend to Labuan Port.

“Labuan Port will remain a federal port. It will be removed from the Bintulu Ports Act, and will be abolished as a federal port under the Federal Ports Act,” he said.

Loke said several other technical matters will be discussed between the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development of Sarawak.

“Regarding the allocation agreement, we will maintain it for the operators and port staff even after the change of status,” the minister said, adding that other matters include financial elements that need to be detailed between the federal government and Sarawak.

“Bintulu Port will continue to be the main port not only for Sarawak, but also for Malaysia as the premier liquefied natural gas port. It can be further expanded to support the oil and gas industry in Bintulu as well as in Sarawak.

“The port’s status change reflects the Madani government’s commitment to upholding the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and implementing the matters contained therein,” Loke said.

In the tabling of Budget 2024 in October last year, the prime minister announced that the federal government would consider handing over Bintulu Port to the Sarawak government to complete the state's economic ecosystem. 

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