Bintulu Port operating system installation on track for April completion

KUCHING (Feb 12): Bintulu Port Holdings Berhad (BPHB) is on track to complete the installation of the port operating system (POS) at Bintulu Port by April as part of its push towards full digitalisation by 2030.

Its president and group chief executive officer Datuk Ruslan Abdul Ghani said the system has already been implemented at Samalaju Industrial Port, marking a key milestone in the group’s digital transformation journey.

“Even as we speak, we have implemented the port operating system in Samalaju Industrial Port since September last year and by April this year we’ll be completing the port operating system at Bintulu Port,” he told reporters at the Bintulu Port Media Appreciation Night here on Wednesday.

Ruslan described the POS as a state-of-the-art system modelled after technology used at Shanghai’s Yangshan Phase 4 terminal.

“It is state of the art. We employ what is being used in Shanghai now in line with what they use at Yangshan Phase 4 in order for us to implement a fully integrated port operating system that will enable our customers to have a more advanced method of working and also for us as well,” he said.

He stressed that the April completion timeline represents a significant step in BPHB’s plan to achieve full digitalisation by 2030, adding that numerous supporting technologies have already been introduced over the past three years.

Among them are the Smart Barrier Gate system and Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) technology to streamline entry and exit processes, a marine system to better manage vessel movements, expanded closed-circuit television (CCTV) coverage, as well as the use of drones in daily operations.

“We also utilise a lot of digital technology with regard to drones. We have implemented drones, what we call nested drones, and we are the first in Malaysia to have that,” he said.

Ruslan added BPHB is also in the process of installing a digital twin system, which will allow port operations to be replicated virtually for monitoring and planning purposes.

“If we are quick enough to implement that, we will be one of the first in Malaysia to have digital twins in our operation.

“The idea of going digital is we want to increase our efficiency and our productivity, which at the end of the day will benefit our customers,” he said.

Beyond the 2030 digitalisation target, Ruslan said the group is also working towards a longer-term goal of full automation by 2050.

In his welcoming speech, Ruslan thanked media practitioners for their continued support, noting that Bintulu Port was mentioned in the media more than 350 times in 2025 — averaging one mention per day.

“As I aim to complete my third year as GCEO, I am deeply grateful to witness the growing support for Bintulu Port from the media fraternity.

“You never fail to come to our events — be it our CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities, our corporate events, or stakeholder engagements,” he said.

He also highlighted the group’s community initiatives, including a contribution of over RM1 million towards the establishment of Anjung Kasih at Bintulu Hospital and its role as a strategic partner for the Special Olympics Malaysia National Games 2026 to be held in Bintulu in April.

Ruslan added BPHB is in the final stages of the port transfer process from federal to state jurisdiction and looks forward to receiving the concession agreement.