REPLY TO SABAH PORTS

by : Junz Wong

ADUN LIKAS Junz Wong has refuted Sabah Ports statement that he has been misleading in his statement against the inefficiency of Sepanggar Bay Container Port (SBCP) operations. 

Junz said Sabah Ports reply was indeed very smart, trying to hide the truth from the public. Sabah Ports replied that 1) there was no record as far as it is concerned to support that there were up to seven vessels waiting for the berth at any one time 2) no record of vessels waited up to a week to berth at SBCP. 

Firstly Junz would like to clarify that he did not say that there have been vessels waited up to a week to BERTH but waited up to a week to be clear, to sail off or depart. Why has SBCP taken up to a week to get done with some vessels from anchoring date via arrival date till actual berthing till actual departure date/time? 

According to his research, vessel CAPE SANTIAGO (missed its window) anchored on 23/7 Tuesday at approximately 0212am and waited till 29/7 Monday for actual berthing at around 0200am and only been cleared and sailed off on 31/7 Wednesday at approximately 0800am. Has SBCP not taken more than 8days to clear this vessel? 

Another vessel DANUM 156 (no window) queued right after CAPE SANTIAGO also anchored on 23/7 Tuesday at approximately 0403am berthed on 31/7 Wednesday and sailed off on 31/7 at approximately 1730pm. Has SBCP taken more than a week to clear this relatively smaller ship?

Another vessel HUB GRANDIOSE arrived on 24/7 Wednesday at 0300am waited for berthing till 31/7 Wednesday and sailed off on 01/08 Thursdayat 2305pm. Again SBCP has taken more than a week to clear this vessel. 

According to vessel arrival and departure : Sepangar Bay Container Port timetable dated on 26/7/2013, it has clearly recorded that 

on 22/7 Monday vessel MARENS (no window) has anchored and only received instruction to berth on 25/7 Thursday. 

On 23/7 Tuesday vessel CAPE SANTIAGO and DANUM156 anchored 

on 24/7 Wednesday vessel MTT Port Klang (with window) and HUB GRANDIOSE anchored and MTT Port Klang was given actual berthing on 25/7 Thursday due to the fixed window system estimated around 1745pm.  on 25/7 Thursday vessel SICILIA and JENWIN II has anchored and SICILIA was given berthing date on 26/7 Friday again due to window system. 

The report has clearly shown that there were at least 5 vessels waited for berthing time at any one time if not 7 vessels technically so to speak. 

"So is this Port efficiency rate acceptable by any port standard?" Junz asked. 

To illustrate the impact of such inefficiency, we must look into the vessel MCC SINGAPORE case. MCC Singapore has anchored on 31 JulyWednesday, could not wait any longer as it was not given a berthing time after waiting for 3 days and left diverted on 2 Aug Friday to MUARA Port in Brunei. According to my reliable source, MCC Singapore has offloaded the containers in Brunei on 3 Aug Saturday and have another vessel MCC HANOI to pick up the cargoes and send back to SBCP expected to arrive on 6 Aug Tuesday.  

As a result of the delay for more than one week, shipping companies have to bear the extra costs, retailers and wholesalers has suffered as some goods are meant to be promoted during Hari Raya festive season. Junz has learnt these after complaints made by some business sectors. 

"Now the challenge for Sabah Ports, is for how long does MCC HANOI have to wait when it anchors in SBCP? With SBCP efficient system, Can Sabah Ports authority give a definite answer as to when can MCC Hanoi berth?" Junz asked. 

With the factual figures presented above, have i been misleading to say that shipping companies, agents, forwarders, wholesalers and retailers have suffered due to inefficiency of Sepanggar Bay Container Port which has indirectly caused higher costs of living in Sabah? Junz concluded.