Malaysia, Laos Forge Strategic Rail-Sea Trade Link
BUSINESS
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (right) and Prime Minister of Laos, Dr Sonexay Siphandone (lefti) witness the exchanging of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) document between MMC Port Holdings Sdn Bhd (MMC Ports) Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Azman Shah Mohd Yusof (second, right) and PTL Holding Chief Executive Officer, Chanthone Sitthixay (second, left) at the Perdana Putra Complex today.
By Syed Iylia Hariz Al-Qadri Syed Izman
PUTRAJAYA, May 25 (Bernama) -- Laos and Malaysia have established a partnership to boost cross-border trade via rail and sea with the exchange of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) and Thanaleng Dry Port (TDP) here today.
The MoC was exchanged between MMC Port Holdings Sdn Bhd (MMC Ports) chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Azman Shah Mohd Yusof and PTL Holding Co. Ltd (PTLH) CEO Chanthone Sitthixay, witnessed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his counterpart, Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.
PPSB is a subsidiary of MMC Ports, while PTLH is the parent company of Vientiane Logistics Park Co. Ltd., which manages the TDP.
The collaboration is part of a broader initiative under the Pan-Asia Railway Network, integrating the China-Laos Railway to create a strategic trade route linking southern China through Laos and Thailand to Malaysia's West Coast.
Speaking to Bernama, Azman Shah said the cooperation underscores Malaysia's growing role as a regional logistics hub and is aligned with efforts to enhance ASEAN connectivity.
He added that the initiative will not only promote multimodal integration by combining rail and sea transport but also reduce transit times and logistics costs, improve supply chain efficiency, and boost regional economic growth.
'We are pleased to contribute to TDP's efforts to realise Laos' national strategy to transform from a land-locked country to a land-linked nation.
'This partnership positions Malaysia as a gateway for trade between mainland Southeast Asia and global markets, while also supporting Laos in becoming a land-linked economy,' he said.
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