Bintulu Port handover process to be finalised by end-June

 Sarawak deputy premier Douglas Uggah Embas says the state will consolidate all port authorities under a central body in the third quarter of 2026.

The Sarawak government officially took ownership of Bintulu Port in January, following the acquisition of a RM1.8 billion stake in the Bintulu Port Authority. (Bintulu Port pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The handover process for Bintulu Port to Sarawak will be finalised by the end of June, state deputy premier Douglas Uggah Embas said today.

Uggah said the state government would move to consolidate all state port authorities under a central port authority to be known as the Sarawak Ports Authority in the third quarter of the year.

“This will streamline policymaking and regulation, and harmonise development efforts,” Bernama reported him as saying in the Sarawak assembly.

The Sarawak government officially took ownership of the port in January, following the acquisition of a RM1.8 billion stake in the Bintulu Port Authority.

“The Bintulu Port Authority is ours. Now it (the negotiation) has been settled. They agreed to a very reasonable price of RM1.8 billion,” he was quoted as saying.

Separately, Uggah, who is also the state’s infrastructure and port development minister, said phase one of the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road was 70.05% complete as of last month, and is expected to be completed in 2027.

He said phase two had commenced and has reached 10.55%, with completion scheduled for 2029.

“Phase two will include Sarawak’s first road tunnel project under package four, with a proposed length of approximately 2.24km,” he said.

Uggah said the alignment was designed to minimise hill-cutting and preserve the surrounding environment, while reducing travel distance from 22.4km to about 7km. - FMT