PORT KLANG: Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Westports) is
poised to handle about nine million containers of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) once its new 600-metre wharf is ready by 2014, Chief Executive Officer Ruben Emir Gnanalingam said today.

He said the port hopes to see positive improvements in both performance and productivity, especially in container operations, once the wharf was completed.

"Our current capacity is 7.5 million TEUs and we are confident to handle eight million TEUs easily once our additional 300-metre berth is ready by January next year.

"We're also hoping to achieve nine million TEUs once the 600-metre berth is ready by 2014," he told Bernama after attending the Aidilfitri open house hosted by Westports here today.

Ruben said Westports was confident of handling seven million TEUs this year as compared to 6.4 million TEUs handled last year, mainly due to its cargo volume between Asia and European countries.

He said Westports performance and productivity in contanier operations is very much dependent on the route between Asia and European countries.

Ruben said Westports recorded a growth of about 11 per cent in the first half of this year, making it the only port in Malaysia with double-digit growth.


He said Westports, one of two ports in Port Klang, with about 4,000 employees, needed adequate manpower in container operations.

Ruben said the private terminal operator was working towards attaining the highest level of efficiency and was improving facilities as well as infrastructures to meet customers' needs.

It was reported that Westports handles 64 per cent of the overall container volume at Port Klang, Malaysia's premier port. Bernama