SATOK assemblyman Datuk Ibrahim Baki has proposed that the Sarawak Ports Authority be known as SPort.
“This is similar to the abbreviation of Sarawak Pay that is now known as SPay Global,” he said.
He was debating the Sarawak Ports Authority Bill 2024 during the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Tuesday (May 7).
In supporting the Bill, Ibrahim, who is also the chief whip of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), said with a centralised port authority, it will allow greater consolidation of Sarawak port infrastructure, playing a crucial role in the development of new industries.
He asserted that the integration must also include improved accessibility to the ports as well as to major highways in Sarawak as part of the land transportation link.
With seamless connectivity from both sea to port and port to land, he said it will enable greater logistic transport capacity in the state, with Sarawak being situated nearby neighbouring countries Brunei and Indonesia.
“This positions Sarawak as a focal point for trade transportation with a number of ports to drive economic growth not only for regions within Sarawak but also for Borneo Island as a whole.
“Sarawak has enormous potential in the new economic area. It is an exporter of many resources and is supporting a number of industries, including the renewable industry, through our energy production initiatives,” he added.
As such, he said the Sarawak government must explore methods to improve connectivity with both Indonesia and Brunei through railway networks, such as the High-Speed Rail (HSR) project implemented in other parts of the world.
Although this might be a costly endeavour, he expressed optimism that the benefits from it should not be ignored and its feasibility must be studied.
“Definitely, the transformed road network in the state will boost our economic growth as it provides better land transport capabilities for cargo, goods, and resources.
“With more areas accessible via roads, it allows more shipments of raw materials through our ports, allowing the development of rural industries such as agriculture as well as manufacturing with greater export capacity for our products to outside Sarawak through our ports,” he said.
