FOR the next two weeks, work at Port Klang will take place 24 hours a day as retailers work with port authorities to clear the congestion brought about by delays in customs clearance and container backlog issues, said industry players.

This comes after a meeting with various stakeholders chaired by Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong on Monday.

Malaysian Retailers’ Association vice-president Mydin Ameer Ali Mydin said this is the best solution to overcome the current situation.

“All of us agreed to work 24 hours a day, for seven days in the next two weeks, and this includes the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (Maqis), Royal Malaysian Customs, transportation service providers and importers,” Ameer told The Malaysian Insight.

The retail giant Mydin Mohamad Holdings managing director said the association hopes the government would assist in speeding up customs clearance and solving related problems.

“It is a good thing for the minister to convene a meeting as everyone has different views and opinions on the congestion problem,” he said.

Port Klang said in a statement last week, it had been hit with congestion as vessels and containers were stuck after delays in preceding ports.

Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Capt K. Subramaniam said the congestion is affecting two of the port’s terminals, Northport and Westport, adding that similar situations are occurring at other major ports in the region.

Ameer said many at the meeting agree the external situation of the global market contributed to the problem, which is aggravated by a lack of communication and cooperation between the port authorities, Maqis and transportation companies.

“However, after the meeting, we did see a glimmer of hope because everyone agreed to cooperate and discuss how to speed up customs clearance of containers by Maqis.”

Ameer said Maqis alone cannot be blamed for the current situation.

“This is, first of all, a port problem. The port has not been able to clear goods quickly enough, causing moored ships to queue.

“The port authorities say they will try their best. My opinion is that their best is not good enough.”

Maqis has a backlog of containers not inspected but it has promised to provide more manpower to increase the number of daily inspections from 100 containers to 200.

The authorities will also set up a working group, comprising the private sector, to discuss how to speed up clearance.

“This includes different levels because it does not only involve ports but also transportation and importers.”

Selangor Freight Forwarders’ and Logistics’ Association president Tony Chia said external factors created the problem and Malaysia can only solve internal problems.

“Currently, the Covid-19 pandemic still exists and the whole world is affected. The entire environment and supply chain are also affected, including the connectivity of global ships.

“The lack of containers in other countries, such as China, and the increase in Covid-19 infections in Europe led to a shortage of containers and high freight prices,” he said.

Chia said these are external problems that Malaysia finds it difficult to solve.

It is impossible to let randomly all containers pass customs at one time because of the congestion problem as coordination and inspection is still needed, he said.

Once Maqis clears the goods, industry players should immediately move them out of ports, he said.

Retailers also can’t blame customs and Maqis because the number of containers has increased, he said.

Fruit and vegetable importers complained that the customs clearance process that formerly took only about two days, is delayed for a week.

This resulted in delays of the shipment to wholesalers, retailers and consumers.

The retailers also said the problem has been ongoing for two to three months, yet not resolved. They are worried when an import surge with the approaching Lunar New Year. – December 30, 2020.