Without the immediate implementation of the RM 353 million dredging works to deepen the North Channel to 15 meters to allow bigger vessels to dock Penang Port and the low price paid by Seaport Terminal (Johore) Sdn Bhd, the privatisation of the Penang Port can be easily misinterpreted as another ‘piratisation’ of public assets for private benefit. I am surprised at the low price paid for the privatisation of Penang Port to the company linked to tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, as revealed by the written reply to my parliamentary question below.
Unfortunately my question on the RM 353 million dredging project to deepen the North Channel went unanswered, indicating that the Federal government has surrendered this important requirement that was even included in the Ninth and 10th Malaysian Plan. Without deepening the depth to 15 meters, Penang Port would slowly come unstuck in shallower and shallower waters, because it is unable to handle the bigger vessels that is now the norm in sea transport requiring at least 15 meters depth.
The Penang state government is disappointed at the unhealthy silence and ominous secrecy surrounding the privatisation of Penang Port by the Federal government. Until today, there is no official announcement of the transfer of management except when the matter is raised by me in Parliament or public announcements by Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) of a 30% rise in productivity at Penang Port (that could not be quantified into ringgit value) since it was taken over last year.
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Pertanyaan Lisan
Soalan
Tuan Lim Guan Eng[Bagan] minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan status penswastaan Pelabuhan Pulau Pinang serta mekanisme pengurusan, jumlah wang yang dibayar, jumlah hutang yang perlu ditanggung serta bilakah kerja pengorekan dasar laut sebanyak RM353juta untuk mendalamkannya kepada 15 meter akan dimulakan.
JAWAPAN： YB SENATOR DATO’ SRI ABDUL WAHID BIN OMAR, MENTERI DI JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
Tuan Yang di-Pertua,
Untuk Makluman Ahli Yang Berhormat, Syarikat Seaport Terminal(Johore) Sdn Bhd telah mengambil alih operasi dan pengurusan Pelabuhan Pulau Pinang termasuk pengambilalihan kakitangan pelabuhan berkenaan. Pembayaran sebanyak RM170 juta bagi tujuan pengambilalihan ekuiti juga telah dibuat oleh Syarikat Seaport Terminal (Johore) Sdn Bhd. Walaubagaimanapu, pemindahan ekuiti dari Syarikat Penang Port Sdn Bhd kepada Syarikat Seaport Terminal (Johore) Sdn Bhd masih di dalam proses kerana pihak syarikat sedang berunding dengan pihak bank-bank yang terlibat untuk menstrukturkan semula hutang PPSB yang berjumlah melebihi RM1.2bilion.
Bagi kerja-kerja pengerukan dasar laut kepada kedalaman 15 meter, ianya akan dilaksanakan berdasarkan perancangan syarikat dan keperluan daripada kapal-kapal yang berlabuh di Pelabuhan Pulau Pinang. Kerja-kerja pengerukan ini akan dipantau oleh Suruhanjaya Pelabuhan Pulau Pinang memandangkan ianya merupakan sebahagian daripada obligasi syarikat sepertimana di dalam Perjanjian Penswastaan.
Sekian, Terima Kasih