Decision to lift rice transshipment a boon
LABUAN: The Labuan Chamber of Malay Entrepreneurs (DUML) has commended the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry’s (MOA) decision to lift the ban on rice transshipment activities at all ports nationwide, describing it as a boon to ports.
DUML president Datuk Seri Mohd Alias Abdul Rahman said the decision would help ensure that port activities, especially at the Labuan Port, also known as the Labuan Liberty Wharf, continue to stay afloat amid the decline in port cargo handling due to the slowdown in the oil and gas sector.
He said the DUML thanked Agriculture and Agro- based Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub for attending to the grievances of its members over the transshipment ban.
“The decision is a great help to port operators, especially the Labuan port operator,” he told Bernama today.
Alias was optimistic that Labuan port operator Labuan Liberty Port Management Sdn Bhd would adhere to MOA’s directive to ensure that rice transshipments at the port was covered by the relevant import permit.
On Nov 4, Salahuddin said in Parliament that transshipment activities at all ports throughout the country would be allowed with an import permit and the decision was also aimed at curtailing smuggling activities.
He said as the transshipment was necessary following the slowdown in the oil and gas sector activities
The decision is a great help to port operators, especially the Labuan port operator. Datuk Seri Mohd Alias Abdul Rahman, DUML president
and the ministry was obliged to ensure that Sabah, Labuan, as well as the country would not be labelled as smuggling havens.
On July 30, the DUML called for the lifting of the ban on transshipment of rice at all ports nationwide, including at Labuan Port as it had severely affected port business activity.
The chamber said cargo handling activities at the Labuan Port had been badly affected, with cargo throughput dropping between 20 per cent and 30 per cent over the last three years.
It said rice transshipment from Vietnam to Southern Philippines through Labuan Port since 2016 had helped reactivate port handling activities after a slowdown in the oil and gas cargo business.
BIMP-EAGA Business Council Sabah chairman Datuk Roselan Johar Mohamed had said barter trading and transshipment business at Labuan, Sandakan and Tawau ports had been the people’s business and lifeline “since the dawn of civilisation”. —