Transport & Infrastucture
From The Report: Sarawak 2015
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The state’s once underdeveloped transportation infrastructure is transitioning from a maligned weakness to a position of strength as improvements to air, sea and land connections continue to ease the flow of goods and people within Sarawak and abroad. For an island state whose inland waterways also still serve as the primary conduit for moving people and cargo internally, water transportation remains a key element in Sarawak’s logistical network and its further augmentation remains a focal point for future development. Road interconnectivity has been a high priority of federal development plans and a prerequisite of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy. Major investments in Sarawak’s transportation network are providing a substantial leap in capacity and capability, which should provide a strong base for the expected growth in coming years.

This chapter contains interviews with Michael Manyin Jawong, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications; Mior Ahmad Baiti, CEO, Bintulu Port Holdings; and Ritzerwan Rashid, CEO, MASwings.

 

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

New land, air and sea transport links will help meet higher demand in Sarawak
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The once underdeveloped transportation infrastructure is transitioning from a maligned weakness to a position of strength as improvements across air, sea and land connections continue to ease the flow of goods and people both within Sarawak and abroad. For an island state whose inland waterways also still serve as the primary conduit for moving people and cargo internally, water transportation remains a key element in Sarawak’s logistical network and its further augmentation remains a focal…

Analysis

Sarawak focuses on building and upgrading regional transportation links
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Situated on some of the most important trade routes in the world and positioned to capitalise on raw resources of energy and minerals flowing to Asia from Africa and the Middle East, as well as exports out of the region, Sarawak is poised to take advantage of the massive flow of goods steaming past its doorstep. More than half of the world's annual merchant fleet tonnage passes through the Strait of Malacca to the west and the Sunda Straight and Lombok Straight in Indonesia to the south,…

Interview

OBG talks to Michael Manyin Jawong, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications
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Interview:Michael Manyin Jawong What progress has been made in recent years on the construction of the Trans Borneo Highway, and what will be its immediate economic effects? MICHAEL MANYIN JAWONG: The Sarawakian portion of the Trans Borneo Highway will be about 972.8 km in length and be divided into two phases during construction. The highway route will pass through all of the major cities in Sarawak and link the state’s entire economic backbone. The first phase will run from Miri to Kuching…

Interview

OBG talks to Mior Ahmad Baiti, CEO, Bintulu Port Holdings
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Interview:Mior Ahmad Baiti What factors have accounted for the recent increase in vessel calls to Bintulu Port, and from which industries are the highest rates of activity coming? MIOR AHMAD BAITI: If you consider the increase in vessel calls to Bintulu Port by category, the most substantial increase has been in offshore supply vessels from oil and gas platforms. That being said, increases have been experienced all across the board and in all types of cargo. Bintulu Port has experienced a…

Analysis

Samalaju in Sarawak will benefit from a new purpose-built industrial port
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With major front-end utility investments for the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) such as water and power hook-ups now complete, efforts are shifting towards completing transportation infrastructure to accommodate the surge in the industrial park’s growing cargo traffic. This includes ongoing construction of two new dedicated ports – both of which are already operating on a limited capacity – as well as new overland transport arteries to complete the logistics chain from…

Analysis

Plane speaking: Cargo and passenger movements were both on the increase throughout 2014
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As Sarawak is separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea and from the rest of Borneo due to limited road connectivity, air travel is the primary means of transport for most of those travelling to and from the state. By far the busiest airport serving Sarawak is Kuching International Airport (KIA), its only international airport. This transit hub is supported by seven smaller domestic airports: Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu, Mulu, Marudi, Miri and Limbang. All eight major international…

Interview

OBG talks to Ritzerwan Rashid, CEO, MAS wings
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Interview:Ritzerwan Rashid To what extent does the concept of a regional airline remain feasible, and what are the challenges preventing increased connectivity? RITZERWAN RASHID: The major challenge in tackling the aviation market within the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) is that the area has a relatively low GDP, and while it contains a large population, consumers have low purchasing power. In order to tackle this market, one must have…