KUCHING: Bintulu Port has officially become the property of the Sarawak Government following the formal handover from the Federal Government to the Sarawak Government in a symbolic official document handover ceremony held at the VVIP Terminal, Kuching International Airport, on Wednesday.
The ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim,m and the Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg.
The receipt of the official documents was accepted by the Deputy Premier of Sarawak and Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development Sarawak Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, from the Minister of Transport,l Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
Among the documents handed over were the Ports (Privatisation) (Amendment to Schedule) Order, 2026 and the Bintulu Port Authority (Dissolution) (Vesting Date) Order, 2026.
Also handed over were documents on the Commencement Date of the Declaration of an Area in the Bintulu District to be a Federal Port (Repeal) Act 2024 [Act 858] and the Commencement Date of the Bintulu Port Authority (Dissolution) Act 2024 [Act 859].
Effective September 1, Bintulu Port officially transitioned from a federal port to a state port, thereby transferring and vesting all property, rights, interests, and obligations of the Bintulu Port Authority to the Sarawak Government.
The takeover value of the Bintulu Port Authority was agreed upon at RM1.8 billion on February 4, 2026, before the Federal Government and the Sarawak Government signed the 'Completion Agreement' on June 21.
Also present were Deputy Premiers of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Datuk Amar Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian, Speaker of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar, members of the Sarawak and Federal Cabinet, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dato Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy Ministers of the Sarawak and Federal Cabinet, Heads of Departments, and other dignitaries.
Earlier, Dato Seri Anwar arrived at KIA at around 5:35 PM to attend the Malaysia Day 2026 Celebration held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) in the evening. — UKASnews
Prepared by: Ahmad Daniel Faiz
Photos: Ibanez Jeffery & George Embie
Translator: Ryan Lim
