Uggah (fourth right) presenting Loke with a memento following a meeting between the federal Ministry of Transport and Sarawak Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development today (Jan 8, 2024) while others look on.

KUCHING, Jan 8: The federal government has agreed to finalise the handing over of Bintulu Port to the Sarawak government by June this year.

The federal Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Sarawak Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development in a joint statement today said the matter was decided during the Federal-State Joint Committee meeting held at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.

The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Minister of Finance and New Economy II and Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas together with Minister of Transport Malaysia Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

According to the statement, the federal MOT will present the Bill for the repeal of the Bintulu Port Authority Act, 1981 during the 2024 Parliamentary Conference Session.

Apart from that, to ensure the operation of Bintulu Port is not affected and disrupted by the status change process, the Sarawak government will also establish the Bintulu Port Authority (Sarawak) under the Port Authority Ordinance, 1961.

It added that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed in February 2024 to realise the handover of Bintulu Port to the Sarawak Government. — DayakDaily