Put off new charges, DP urged
Published on: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Published on: Wed, Jun 25, 2025 Text Size: Tony (right), Joseph (second right) and others during the 20th FMFF AGM and 129th Council Meeting held in here, on Saturday. Kota Kinabalu: The Federation of Malaysian Freight Forwarders (FMFF) has urged DP World, operator of the Sapangar Bay Container Port (SBCP), to postpone the implementation of new container removal charges, warning that the move will further burden Sabah consumers and strain the already congested port system. The matter was raised during FMFF's 20th Annual General Meeting and its 129th Council Meeting held in here, hosted by the Sabah Freight Forwarders and Logistics Association (SABFFLA). Effective July 15, DP World will impose a charge of RM45 for each 20-foot container and RM90 for each 40-foot container not cleared after five days. This reduces the current free storage period from eight days, previously offered under Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd. FMFF described the move as 'premature, unfair and unjustified', citing worsening yard congestion and lengthy delays in container movement and customs processing. 'A container can take three to four hours to be delivered at the earliest, factoring in yard and gate delays. In some cases, hauliers are made to wait up to six hours inside the port,' said FMFF President Datuk Dr Tony Chia and CT Forwarding & Transport Sdn Bhd Director Joseph T.K. Chong in a joint statement. They noted that forwarding agents also face prolonged delays in moving containers to the Customs Examination Area (CEA), with processing sometimes taking several days.
Advertisement Given the circumstances, they stressed that meeting the new five-day requirement would be impossible and the additional cost burden would ultimately be passed on to consumers. 'DP World must first resolve operational inefficiencies and ensure the port ecosystem is ready before enforcing new charges,' they said. FMFF is also calling for immediate short-term solutions to ease the congestion while awaiting the port extension project's completion in 2027. 'Changes to SOPs and the free period must go hand in hand with improved productivity and efficiency, until such improvements are in place, the current eight-day free period must be retained,' the joint statement added. FMFF, which represents more than 1,600 logistics companies nationwide through eight state associations, maintained that performance benchmarks must be met before any new cost-related policies can be justified. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
an hour ago
- Borneo Post
SuriaGroup charts steady course amid strategic shifts, sustainable growth
Ng (left), Faisyal (centre) and Phoon during the press conference after the 42nd Annual General Meeting of SuriaGroup today. KOTA KINABALU (June 25): Suria Capital Holdings Berhad and its group of companies (SuriaGroup) have unveiled its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2024, following the conclusion of its 42nd Annual General Meeting today, marking a pivotal year of strategic transformation and long-term value creation. Despite a challenging operating landscape, SuriaGroup maintained its resilience in 2024, anchored by a historic collaboration with global port operator DP World at the Sapangar Bay Container Port and continued progress across its flagship property development ventures. For the year under review, Suria Capital Holdings Berhad Group Manging Director Datuk Ang Kiat Min said the Group recorded total revenue of RM271 million, a slight dip of 2.6 per cent from RM278.4 million in 2023. Despite this, gross profit rose by 3.3 per cent to RM80.4 million, while profit before tax climbed 3.6 per cent to RM50.5 million. Profit after tax, however, edged down marginally by 1.3 per cent to RM33.9 million. 'The financial performance was chiefly influenced by the operational transition of Sapangar Bay Container Port to DPW Sabah Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd and DP World, in September 2024. This resulted in a one-off derecognition of concession assets and a reclassification of financial receivables based on projected rental income from DPW Sabah Sdn Bhd. 'Nonetheless, SuriaGroup declared a total dividend of 3.0 sen per ordinary share, comprising 1.5 sen interim and 1.5 sen final dividends, amounting to RM10.4 million or 30.7 per cent of its profit after tax,' she said. Port operations continued to be SuriaGroup's mainstay, contributing RM240.4 million, or 88.7 per cent of total revenue. Total cargo throughput across Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd's facilities grew by 5.1 per cent to 28.9 million metric tonnes (2023: 27.5 million metric tonnes). Container throughput surged 17.2 per cent to 501,944 TEUs, with significant volumes recorded at Sapangar Bay Container Port (362,449 TEUs), Tawau Port (83,285 TEUs) and Sandakan Port (56,210 TEUs). Of the total at Sapangar, 115,651 TEUs were handled by DPW Sabah Sdn Bhd following the operational handover. A landmark development in 2024 was the formal commencement of DP World's management of Sapangar Bay Container Port, positioning Sabah as a crucial maritime gateway in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). This partnership is expected to bolster Sabah's global connectivity through new shipping corridors and higher vessel calls, anchoring its relevance in the international supply chain. Meanwhile, the RM900 million expansion project at Sapangar Bay Container Port, spearheaded under the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA), is progressing with 26 per cent completion as of June 2025. Once finished, the port will accommodate up to 1.25 million TEUs, more than doubling its current capacity and cater to larger Intra-Asia vessels with deeper drafts and longer berthing lengths. In November 2024, SuriaGroup completed the construction of a second oil jetty at Sapangar Bay Oil Terminal. The upgraded facility is designed to handle vessels of up to 60,000 DWT and includes infrastructure to support bunkering for supply vessels up to 5,000 DWT. The new jetty is slated to commence operations in the second half of 2025. The Group's flagship waterfront project, Jesselton Quay, has now entered its final phase. Groundworks began in late 2024 for Phase 2, which includes the 26-storey Q Suites commercial tower (420 units), followed by the low-rise Heritage Shops. Suria's entitlement from this phase stands at RM174 million. Simultaneously, the Jesselton Docklands development, in partnership with BEDI Development Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of EXSIM), has gained traction. Spanning 14.2 hectares, this integrated tourism precinct will feature an international ferry and cruise terminal, serviced residences, hotels and commercial spaces. A preview of The Bedrock Suites on Land 1 was held on 20 June 2025, receiving favourable public response. SuriaGroup is investing RM70 million to install two new energy-efficient ship-to-shore e-gantry cranes at Tawau Port, replacing the current mobile harbour cranes. The new equipment, expected by end-2025, will enhance cargo handling speed, reduce carbon emissions and reinforce operational sustainability. Looking ahead to 2025, SuriaGroup will continue engaging regulators to revise port tariffs under the Sabah Ports Authority's existing framework to support infrastructure reinvestment. Several tariff components have already been approved through administrative orders. Discussions are also underway for the extension of the Group's port concession agreement, following preliminary consultations with stakeholders earlier this year. Operationally, the full-year contribution from DP World's management at Sapangar Bay Container Port is expected to elevate performance through better vessel connectivity and throughput. At the same time, the Group's property development strategy grounded in long-term partnerships and prime coastal assets, will reinforce Kota Kinabalu's status as a lifestyle and tourism hub. Importantly, SuriaGroup continues to integrate sustainability into its development agenda, ensuring that new growth aligns with environmental and community values. As SuriaGroup navigates 2025, the Group remains committed to enhancing shareholder value, advancing Sabah's maritime and tourism economy, and contributing to the state's long-term sustainable development agenda. Also present at the Annual General Meeting were SuriaGroup Chairman, Datuk Faisyal Yusof Hamdain Diego and Group Chief Financial Officer, Phoon Wai Wah.
Daily Express
3 hours ago
- Daily Express
Ismail Sabri probe completed, MACC to file RM170 million forfeiture bid
Published on: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 25, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that the investigation into former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob ( pic ) has been completed, and a forfeiture application for cash amounting to RM170 million is expected to be filed within the next two weeks. MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the investigation papers have been submitted to the Attorney General's Chambers, and the Deputy Public Prosecutor has agreed to proceed with the application for forfeiture of the cash. 'The affidavit application and related documents are being prepared. It is up to Ismail Sabri to challenge our application,' he said at a press conference at the MACC headquarters here today. However, Azam clarified that no decision has been made yet regarding criminal charges against the country's ninth prime minister. Ismail Sabri had previously appeared at the MACC headquarters several times to assist in investigations into alleged corruption and money laundering involving the use and procurement of funds for promotion and publicity of the Keluarga Malaysia programme during his administration from August 2021 to November 2022. Azam said the MACC had also recorded a statement from Ismail Sabri's former son-in-law, Datuk Jovian Mandagie, in relation to the investigation into the former prime minister's asset ownership. Advertisement The investigation followed a directive for Ismail Sabri to declare his assets under Section 36(1) of the MACC Act 2009. The declaration was made on Feb 10, and the MACC is now analysing the sources of the declared assets. Following that, the MACC seized RM170 million in cash in various foreign currencies — including Baht, Riyal, Pound Sterling, Won, Euro, Swiss Franc and Yuan — and confiscated 16 kilogrammes of pure gold bars estimated to be worth RM7 million, as part of the corruption and money laundering probe against the former prime minister. The seizures were made during raids at a residence and office believed to have been used as a 'safehouse', based on investigations into four of Ismail Sabri's former senior officers who were detained in February. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
6 hours ago
- Daily Express
Firm in Black Hawk fiasco awarded military airbase calibration job, say sources
Published on: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 25, 2025 By: K Parkaran, FMT Text Size: Last November, the defence ministry cancelled a lease of four Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters from Aerotree Defence and Services Sdn Bhd after the company failed to deliver the aircraft. (Aerotree Defence and Services pic) PETALING JAYA: Questions have been raised over the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) decision to award a new contract to a company which failed to deliver four Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters barely eight months ago. According to a letter, Aerotree Defence and Services Sdn Bhd was awarded a contract to calibrate the instrument landing system equipment for fixed-wing aircraft at three military air bases recently. Last November, the defence ministry cancelled a RM187 million Black Hawk lease contract it signed with Aerotree after the company failed to deliver the aircraft despite three date revisions. The four helicopters, leased for five years, were intended to serve as a platform for the army's Air Team Nucleus, supporting both training and operational flight missions. One source expressed 'shock' upon learning of the award, barely eight months after the Black Hawk 'fiasco'. Advertisement 'The defence ministry must explain how this is possible as we understand that another firm was initially awarded the calibration contract but lost it suddenly,' the source told FMT. FMT is withholding the name of the second company, pending a comment. Seven months ago, defence minister Khaled Nordin said the government's deal with Aerotree was called off after the company failed to meet its October delivery deadline. FMT has reached out to Aerotree CEO Halim Othman and RMAF for comment. Foreign-registered aircraft and crew Meanwhile, another source questioned the identity of the aircraft and air crew attending to the calibration of airfields at Labuan, Butterworth and Gong Kedak. The source also questioned whether Aerotree or the UK-based calibration company were in possession of a Malaysian air operation certificate (AOC) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). He said RMAF was obliged to clarify the matter, including whether the air crew possess valid work permits to carry out the work in the country. According to the source, the assurances sought were necessary as the entry and exit of foreigners from Malaysian air bases would pose a security risk. He claimed the calibration flights started on June 16 and are expected to be completed by today. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
