KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 6): Minister of Transport Anthony Loke will visit China next month where he will be engaging with China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO), to discuss prospects of further collaboration with the state-owned company in making Malaysia a major transshipment hub.

Loke said collaborating with international shipping liners such as COSCO will help create an integrated ecosystem that boosts Malaysia’s competitiveness, besides lowering costs of imports and exports.

“We want to strengthen our ports and increase their competitiveness. Being a major transshipment hub will bring a major boost to our economy. 

“[This is because] when more international shipping lines come to Malaysia, we will then have direct lines to other countries, and that will bring down the cost of shipping and transportation,” Loke told the press after opening the inaugural International Forum on New Inclusive Asia held here today. The forum is co-organised by the Centre for New Inclusive Asia, Jinan University of China, and University of Malaya.

Loke pointed out that ports in Malaysia are strategically located but there are issues surrounding efficiency that must be resolved.

“We know what are the challenges we are facing all these while. The new government is committed to ensure that we will improve our efficiency and [address] challenges that we face at the ports. We are working towards it.

“That is why we setup a national shipping and ports council to deal with all these issues on the ground. They are actively building up capacity and engaging the stakeholders as well as port operators,” he added.

The official visit in January will also see Loke’s ministry engaging with China’s transport minister Li Xiaopeng.

“We wish to strengthen bilateral cooperation with China in terms of transportation, especially in increasing the number of flights and destinations," said Loke, adding that this will help boost Malaysia's tourism sector.

In 2017, Malaysia recorded a total of 2.28 million Chinese visitors.