{
  "id": 16570582,
  "title": "Kuantan Port eyes direct container shipping to Sabah, Sarawak",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/kuantan-port-eyes-direct-container-shipping-to-sabah-sarawak",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-26T07:28:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/regional/2026/10/1563903/kuantan-port-eyes-direct-container-shipping-sabah-sarawak"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kuantan Port in Pahang, Malaysia, is exploring the possibility of direct container shipping services to Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia to cut down on logistics costs for businesses. This initiative was announced by State Investment, Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Nizar Najib, who mentioned that the first roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel carrying 17 vehicles departed Kuantan Port on October 19 and arrived at Kuching Port less than 48 hours later. This marks the revival of direct shipping links between Kuantan and East Malaysia, following the closure of the defunct Feri Muhibbah service about 30 years ago. The RoRo service is expected to deliver 300 vehicles this week, significantly reducing the travel time from four to six days via lorries to Port Klang. Nizar expressed hope that the shipping operator would eventually expand its services to include container shipments, potentially lowering logistics costs and delivery times for businesses in Kuantan and Pekan who currently rely on Port Klang for goods transportation to East Malaysia. The Pahang government aims to develop Kuantan Port into a world-class facility, targeting it among the world's top 10 ports, by increasing export volumes and encouraging exporters to utilize the port. Additionally, the Pahang government plans to strengthen trade ties with Sarawak through two-way trade cooperation, exploring opportunities for small and medium enterprises to trade products such as Pahang's ikan patin and sambal hitam, as well as Sarawak's salted terubuk fish and kek lapis.",
  "summary": "KUANTAN: The Pahang government is looking to expand direct shipping services to Sabah and Sarawak beyond wheeled vehicles to include containers, in a move to reduce logistics costs for businesses.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}