Freight forwarders need vaccines, warn of port jams

 

Freight forwarders are urging the government to expedite Covid-19 vaccination for their industry.

Federation of Malaysian Freight Forwarders (FMFF) president Alvin Chua told Malaysiakini that Malaysia should take heed of what happened recently at China's Yantian Port.

"Yantian Port was partly closed due to a Covid-19 outbreak and this is causing congestion.

"If something happens at a port, the economy will be affected. Our job is to ship containers in and out of ports," he said.

Chua said the government started vaccinating staff at the Kuantan Port and Port of Tanjung Pelepas.

This, he said, should be expanded to other ports as well.

"The government said that they are looking at our requests. Yesterday, we wrote to the minister in charge of vaccine Khairy Jamaluddin. We told him we will sponsor the vaccination venues.

"If shopping centres are allowed to vaccinate staff, why aren't we? Our members are also willing to pay for a small amount, no problem, like what the shopping malls are doing," said Chua.

Separately, he urged the government to consider allowing some non-essential businesses to reopen their warehouses temporarily to receive container shipments.

Chua said this was necessary as Port Klang was already at 70 percent capacity.

During the first movement control order (MCO) last year, Port Klang was eventually clogged up with containers that could not be delivered to businesses classified as non-essential.

Meanwhile, Chua said his industry was not facing problems with the International Trade and Industry Ministry's Covid-19 intelligent management system (Cims 3.0) because their approval letters to operate during the MCO were handled by the Transport Ministry. - Mkini